Reverse

Chapter 207: Horse Trampling Alliance
"Tyne was really aggressive in the second half... Aren't they worried about their stamina?"

In the studio behind the stadium, after watching the game for almost ten minutes, Luo Jin confirmed that the aggressive pressing by Tyne's players since the start of the second half was not due to the impulsiveness of one or two individuals, but rather the team's overall tactics.

This led to such reflections and questions.

It's normal for him to have such questions.

After all, Tyne is one player behind Clayton Athletic, so in order to maintain the basic formation, he naturally has to run more and be more aggressive than Clayton Athletic's players.

On this basis, Tyne also adopted a high-pressing tactic, so his physical strength would probably be drained away like water flowing from a tap turned on full blast.

Are they really not going to care about the game after 70 minutes? If they can't keep up with their stamina by then, won't Clayton Sports collapse as soon as they step up their game?

"They're probably trying to pull one back as soon as possible," Zhao Chuanfeng said. "They're planning to take advantage of the fact that the second half has just begun, and the Clayton Athletic players haven't quite gotten into the game yet, or maybe they're complacent after taking a two-goal lead, to catch them off guard..."

"This is somewhat of a desperate gamble. If we can't score in the early stages of the second half and our stamina is depleted, the rest of the game might turn into a massacre..." Luo Jin said with some concern.

“McNeil probably knew that too, but he had no choice but to do this. If they tighten their defense, given Clayton’s style, they’ll definitely wear them down until the game time runs out. In the end, they’ll still lose.”

Upon hearing Zhao Chuanfeng's words, Shi Bo, watching on television, wailed, "This is too difficult—!"

Shi Gaojun immediately glared at him and made a "shh" gesture: "Keep your voice down! Don't wake your mom up!"

Shi Bo immediately shrank his neck.

This match between Tyne and Clayton Sports was played in the early hours of the morning in China.

In order to watch the game, Shi Bo paid the price of putting in three extra pages of mental arithmetic practice problems in addition to his regular practice, before he could persuade his mother to let him get up in the middle of the night to watch the live broadcast of the game.

Dad is right. If he disturbs Mom's sleep, then no matter how much more math practice he does, it will be difficult to get Mom to agree to let him watch the live broadcast of the game on the weekend.

After being warned by his father, Shi Bo huddled on the sofa, muttering under his breath, "Two goals down, one man down, away from home, how are we going to play..."

※※※

Upon seeing Kevin Zimmer receive the ball in the backfield, Wang Lie immediately rushed forward to press him.

Zimmer quickly passed the ball to his teammate behind Wang Lie.

Halfway through his run, Wang Lie saw the football rolling behind him, so he immediately stopped, turned around, and lunged back.

When Zimmer saw Wang Lie's sudden stop and turn, he couldn't help but grin.

He's thirty-two years old this year. To make him stop so suddenly and then pounce back so quickly, with such a smooth and natural transition, and such a fast counterattack... it's quite difficult for him to do.

Although he had been shocked many times last season, witnessing Wang Lie's reaction up close now was still hard for him to believe that it was the performance of a 38-year-old's body...

Despite his shock, Zimmer did not forget his mission.

He gestured toward his target, and the team's center-back, Dušan Ratkovic, signaled for him to pass the ball to his left.

Ratkovic passed the ball directly to the left, to the team's left-back Lucas Balaski.

As Ratkovic passed the ball, Zimmer had already moved to the next receiving point, approaching Balaski.

That way, even if Ribeiro from Tyne tries to press Baraschi, the latter can quickly pass the ball to himself.

Wang Lie, who was running towards Ratkovic, saw the ball being passed out and instead turned around to pounce on the moving Zimmer.

He clearly knew who the "core hub" of this rumor was.

However, after seeing Wang Lie run towards captain Jimer, Balaski, facing Ribeiro's pressure, did not pass the ball to him, but instead passed it back to the team's center-back, Ratkovic.

Wang Lie missed his target!

With continuous passing, Tyne's pressing eventually found areas he couldn't cover.

With no one marking him, Latkovic played a through ball forward to Ramon Van Dijk, the center forward who had dropped back to receive it.

Taking this opportunity, Zimmer also turned and rushed forward to meet Van Dijken.

However, as he ran forward, he didn't forget to look back to check the situation behind him—he needed to determine Wang Lie's movements and see where he was.

When he turned around, he saw Wang Lie chasing after him again...

From the moment he was forced to take the bait to the moment he was caught up again, Wang Lie must have turned back and run away several times in those few short exchanges, right?
He actually managed to keep up!
That's terrifying anaerobic capacity!

Is he really thirty-eight years old?
Despite Wang Lie catching up from behind, Kevin Zimmer still gestured to Van Dijk for the ball.

Van Dijk passed the ball back to him, and he made a gesture as if he was going to go up and receive it.

Sure enough, he felt a warm breeze from behind and his breathing like a blower.

So he accelerated toward the ball, but instead of actually receiving it, he turned sideways to block Wang Lie behind him and let the ball pass back.

Then he turned around and chased after the ball.

With a single movement, he left Wang Lie several meters behind.

But Zimmer still didn't dare to be careless, so he chose to make a long pass, sending the ball sideways to the right flank of the field.

Then he looked at Wang Lie again and found that this time Wang Lie did not pounce on him, but blocked his path.

At this moment, Zimmer was standing in Tyne's half of the field—through continuous passing and movement, Clayton Athletic had already advanced the ball into the attacking third.

Watching Wang Lie maintain his defensive stance, his mouth wide open as he desperately inhaled air, and his chest heaving violently... even though he was an opponent, a former mortal enemy from the same city, Jimer had to admire Wang Lie's professionalism and fighting spirit.

He's a 38-year-old guy; there's absolutely no need for him to push himself so hard. Although the team's tactic is pressing, if he just strolls around the field, letting the other nine players fight and tackle, few people can criticize him.

But he had just chased Tyne all the way from the edge of Clayton Athletic's penalty area to Tyne's own half... If Clayton Athletic hadn't already been leading by two goals and weren't in a hurry to attack, his pursuit might have really caused him some trouble.

It wasn't just the opponents who were shocked by Wang Lie; Tyne's players were also impressed.

Who wouldn't be moved by watching their 38-year-old captain tirelessly running and pressing on the field?
Not to mention Wang Lie's fans in the team.

To others, Wang Lie's relentless effort fully embodies his indomitable professional spirit. But to the fans and players, it's a slap in the face—if their idol (god) needs to fight so hard, it means their pressing intensity isn't high enough! They haven't been able to share the burden with their idol (god)! This is their incompetence!
So when Clayton Athletic's right-back Ed Hutchinson received the ball from Jimmer near the sideline, he was immediately marked closely by Vitini.

Hutchinson tried to pass the ball to his striker teammate Eninho on the flank.

However, under pressure from Vitini, his pass lacked power, and the ball was intercepted halfway by Tyne's defensive midfielder, Lenny Isara.

The ball, which was tackled away by Isala, fell to Pisano's feet, and possession changed hands!
After persistent pressing, Tyne finally regained possession of the ball!

Zimmer had been looking into the distance when he saw Isara tackle Hutchinson to break up his pass, and then he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.

He almost reflexively realized that it was Wang Lie rushing forward at high speed!

So he quickly chased after him!

Wang Lie used to pursue him, now it's his turn to pursue Wang Lie!
So, Wang Lie's pursuit just now really caused him some trouble...

※※※

Because Zimmer moved the ball to the right, and Tyne, as the defender, had most of his players move there as well, Pisano was right next to him when Isala tackled Hutchinson to break up the pass.

He realized the ball would be tackled as soon as he stepped off the ground, so he moved towards the likely landing point in advance.

He had to hurry, because that passing sequence had allowed most of Clayton Athletic's players to push past the halfway line, especially the two full-backs who were both in Tyne's half.

Besides the goalkeeper, they only have two center-backs in their backfield.

This is a golden opportunity for Tyne to launch a counter-attack.

These two Clayton Athletic center-backs absolutely cannot cover the entire half; there will be plenty of gaps!
He caught the football.

Vitini had already charged forward, and Hutchinson, who had originally wanted to come up and defend him, could only follow Vitini back.

The other players at Clayton Sports were still a bit far from him at the time.

Pisano gained a ten-meter radius of space in the backfield, in which he could comfortably receive the ball and make adjustments.

This is far too extravagant for a former world-class midfield maestro... Pisano looked up and saw Wang Lie making a high-speed forward run on the other side.

In the short time it took him to stop the ball, turn around, and adjust, he had already rushed into Clayton Athletic's half!
Clayton Sports midfielder Kevin Zimmer is hot on his heels.

Logically speaking, this isn't a very suitable target for passing the ball.

But what did Wang Lie say in the locker room during halftime?

"...Once you get the ball, pass it to me."

You said it yourself...

So he braced himself with his left foot, swung his right foot, and struck the bottom of the soccer ball.

The football, accompanied by grass clippings and water droplets on the turf, soared high into the air, flying towards the direction Wang Lie was sprinting forward.

"Pisano's long pass!"

"He's looking for Wang Lie!"

Pisano stood still after passing the ball, peering ahead. He wasn't looking at the ball he had kicked; his gaze was entirely fixed on the running figure.

Here you go, Your Majesty!
※※※

Kevin Zimmer, the core of Clayton Athletic's well-rounded team, is a "box-to-box" midfielder – a versatile player who moves from one box to another.

His tactical duties and tasks require him not only to have the stamina to cover almost the entire field, but also the speed to get to the receiving point in time.

Therefore, Zimmer is not the kind of slow midfielder.

However, in the process of chasing Wang Lie back to defend, he found that he was unable to catch up with Wang Lie completely!
It's fucking outrageous!
Even though I'm not known for my speed, there's a 38-year-old guy in front of me!

I actually... got left behind by him?!

While running at high speed, he reached out and grabbed Wang Lie's arm and shoulder, using this small action to stop Wang Lie from accelerating.

Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone; he had two center-back teammates in front of the penalty area.

Because it was a sudden counterattack, Tai En had no one in front of him except for Wang Lie!
With three defenders against one, surely we can stop him?

※※※

In fact, Vitini had already rushed forward before Pisano's long pass, and it was precisely because of his resolute forward run that he drew Hutchinson away, creating a relatively relaxed environment for Pisano to make a long pass.

However, he was moving forward on the left flank, while Wang Lie was on the right flank, which was too far apart to provide effective support.

Upon seeing the trajectory of the football, Vitini chose to run diagonally from the wing towards the center, trying to close the distance between himself and Wang Lie.

Meanwhile, Miguel Ribeiro was also charging forward along the right flank, chasing after Wang Lie and Jimer's backs.

He also wanted to meet up with Wang Lie and help him.

He had retreated a bit too far back from his forward position to participate in pressing and defense because of Clayton Athletic's attack earlier. Now, rushing forward again, he's even further away.

Unless Wang Lie can stop and control the ball in the attacking third, and wait for him to come up and receive the pass.

That's a one-against-three situation!
I need to get there as soon as possible; the earlier I get there, the less risk Wang will lose possession of the ball!

He lowered his head, no longer looking at what was ahead, and transformed himself into a sprinter, focusing solely on sprinting forward!
"Vitini and Ribeiro are both accelerating forward, but they are still some distance from Wang. Wang is now facing the entire Clayton Athletic defense alone!"

Amidst the deafening boos at Ashton Road Stadium, commentator Connor Cowley had to scream at the top of his lungs, otherwise he feared his voice would be completely drowned out by the storm of boos!

※※※

Pisano's pass finally landed near the 30-meter line on the right flank of Clayton Athletic, and Wang Lie arrived at the landing point.

He was accompanied by Zimmer, who had been chasing him.

Zimmer's persistence paid off—he would slow down when Wang Lie was about to receive the ball, which gave him the opportunity to close in and interfere with Wang Lie!

But if he hadn't stayed close to Wang Lie earlier, and instead Wang Lie had shaken him off, then he wouldn't have had this defensive opportunity...

After the football flew more than fifty meters through the air, the huge impact caused it to bounce high into the air again.

This situation is actually very disadvantageous for receiving the ball, because players will choose to use their feet to control the ball, as that is the safest option.

If it's above the waist, the legs become difficult to use.

But you can't use your hands—that would be a foul—so you can only use your chest or head to touch the ball, but both of these parts lack ball control ability, making it difficult to control the football well.

Watching the football bounce in front of him to a height higher than a person's head, Wang Lie strode forward, but not to catch the ball, but to collide with the closing-in Zimmer.

When neither side can control the ball, this kind of collision is not a foul.

In fact, Zimmer was also planning to collide with Wang Lie, causing him to lose his balance, and then steal the ball.

However, Wang Lie was ahead of him, so he only used half his strength. Wang Lie crashed into him like a speeding truck.

He was knocked off balance!

As Wang Lie collided with Zimmer, the ball also fell from the air. Wang Lie had gained a half-body advantage through the previous collision, which allowed him to touch the ball before Zimmer.

He chose to gently tap the football down with his head.

But this still didn't allow them to control the ball.

At the same time, Dušan Ratkovic, who came over to provide support, saw Wang Lie head the ball down and accelerated towards it, intending to clear it directly.

Facing Ratkovic's cover, Wang Lie took the initiative, using the outside of his left foot to flick the ball up after it bounced back up!

The ball flew over Latkovic's head and headed towards the center!
After flicking the ball, Wang Lie also stopped abruptly, turned around, and headed towards the middle!

But Ratkovic proved himself to be a top-class defender with the potential to become the best center-back in the world. As the ball passed over his head, he quickly turned around and opened his arms in an attempt to shield Wang Lie behind him.

But he failed...

Because Wang Lie turned around faster than him!
At this moment, Wang Lie had arrived at the area in front of the penalty area of ​​Clayton Stadium, and danger was rapidly approaching!
However, Clayton Sports still had a chance to turn the tide, as Wang Lie was neither able to shake off Ratkovic's entanglement nor control the ball.

Meanwhile, the third defender from Clayton Athletic, their other center-back Francisco Ferreira, is rushing in!

Seeing the ball bounce back into the air after being lobbed, Ferreira decided to clear it before Wang Lie could. This time, he absolutely couldn't let Wang Lie have another chance to touch the ball!
So he simply jumped towards the soccer ball and made a flying kick in the air!
As Wang Lie turned to chase the ball, he saw Ferreira rushing towards him and also saw Ferreira showing signs of jumping.

He guessed what Ferreira was going to do next.

This is an extremely dangerous move!

If he had stopped in time out of fear of injury, Ferreira would have cleared the ball, and Tyne would have lost a golden counter-attack opportunity. Who knows when he'll have another chance like that...

For Wang Lie, how could he possibly let go of such a scoring opportunity that belonged to him?!
With his right hand bracing against Latkovic, who was entangled with him, he stretched his body forward and, risking being kicked in the head by Ferreira, headed the ball!

After heading the ball, he ducked his neck to slow down, and Ferreira in mid-air just brushed past him...

Nevertheless, Ferreira's trailing heel almost brushed against his forehead!
Latkovic, who was passionately entangled with Wang Lie, did not notice Ferreira in the air at all. He suddenly felt as if he had been hit hard by a car, and then lost his defensive target and fell to the ground!
He only had time to catch a glimpse of Wang Lie appearing in the penalty area out of the corner of his eye as he chased after the ball.

The boos from the stands subsided considerably, as many Clayton Athletic fans were too nervous to make a sound, while the visiting Tyne fans cheered!
At this moment, there was a scene of chaos behind Wang Lie, and only Clayton Athletic's goalkeeper Nathan Daye stood in front of him!
Perhaps stunned by Wang Lie's outstanding performance of taking on three defenders single-handedly, Nathan Daye didn't seize the opportunity to rush out immediately. Instead, halfway through his attack, he found himself facing off against Wang Lie in a one-on-one duel...

He could only clamp his legs together, lower his center of gravity, and open his arms.

However, his actions in front of Wang Lie made him look like a weak, pitiful, and helpless little wife, and he couldn't really protect the goal behind him.

Facing Dai Ye, Wang Lie raised his foot and shot.

Daiye fell to the ground with a thud. He had judged the direction correctly, but he still couldn't stop Wang Lie's shot that was right at point-blank range!

The football slipped through the gap between his foot and glove and rolled into the goal from the far post!
Latkovic was still kneeling on the grass in front of the penalty area, watching Wang Lie score the goal.

The cheers of the away fans swept in from the North Stand behind him, blowing into Clayton Athletic's goal like a storm, lifting the net, and pressing the most die-hard Clayton Athletic fans in the South Stand firmly into their seats, unable to move!

(End of this chapter)