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Chapter 209 "The Foundation of a Wealthy Family"

Wang Lie's goal in the 58th minute narrowed the gap to one goal.

This greatly boosted the morale of Tyne's players.

According to Tyne fans, perhaps their team should be in high spirits and overwhelm Clayton Athletic, scoring another goal in a short time to equalize the score.

Perhaps they can take advantage of the Clayton Sports players' disarray and score another goal to complete the comeback?
However, after the referee blew the whistle and the game restarted, Clayton Sports did not seem to be affected.

After the kickoff, Clayton Sports players passed the ball back all the way to goalkeeper Nathan Daye.

When Dai Ye got the ball, Wang Lie rushed towards him first.

Faced with Wang Lie's pressing, Daiye did not simply make a long pass to send the ball to the front, but instead quickly passed it diagonally to Dušan Ratkovic, the center-back who had spread out to receive the pass.

Ratkovic then passed the ball to Kevin Zimmer, who was closest to him.

After receiving the ball, Zimmer turned to protect it. When Vitini tried to steal the ball from behind, he kicked Zimmer in the heel, causing Zimmer to scream and fall to the ground clutching his ankle.

The referee blew his whistle, penalizing Vitini for a foul by kicking someone.

Jimer, who had been kicked, slowly got up from the ground, showing no signs of displeasure at being kicked by Vitini.

Facing Tyne's continued high-pressing tactics, the entire Clayton Athletic team, like their captain Zimmer, remained calm and composed.

Although the lead was reduced from two goals to one, the Clayton Sports players remained as steady as ever.

They continue to adhere to their overall passing and possession strategy, never easily using long passes to move the ball forward, because that would easily hand possession to Tyne. After all, this team, which Rayan Kochea has painstakingly built, is not naturally suited for that kind of "rough work".

Some might wonder, if that's the case, how did that goal come about? Wasn't it just Wang Lie and the other players' relentless pressing that led to a change in possession? So why did Clayton Sports dare to stick to their own tactics?
First of all, passing the ball in your own half is significantly more difficult than passing it in the opponent's half. The closer you are to the opponent's penalty area, the denser the defense, the higher the accuracy required for passing and receiving, and the easier it is to make mistakes that lead to losing possession.

Secondly, possession football is just a tactic, not a foolproof "secret weapon." Every tactic has its flaws and a chance of failure. This also applies to Tyne – they managed to pull one back through high pressing, but that doesn't mean high pressing will always result in a successful interception and a goal.

Third, it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a team to suddenly change their accustomed style of football. Let alone making such a change in a single match, Tyne has spent half a summer training with a new tactic different from last season, and it's still not fully integrated. A team is a collection of dozens of living, breathing people, not some electronic program that can be switched drastically in milliseconds with the push of a button.

Despite conceding a goal, Rayan Kochea remains confident in his team, after all, it is a championship team he has built over seven years, fully embodying his football philosophy.

He also made thorough preparations for the match against Tyne.

Not only did they find a way to defeat Tyne from overlooked details, but they also considered what to do if Tyne retaliated.

As Sofia's arch-rival in the same city, he certainly wouldn't like Wang Lie, Sofia's former legend, but he would definitely not underestimate him.

Because he knew all too well what abilities Wang Lie possessed.

Last season, as the only head coach to lead his team to victory against Tyne after Wang Lie joined, he relied on more than just Clayton Sports' superior strength against Tyne.

This also includes his devising a perfect way to deal with Wang Lie, based on full respect for Wang Lie.

At that time, apart from Wang Lie, the rest of the Tyne team was not strong enough, so he used almost half of the team to limit Wang Lie, which is how he won the game.

Tyne's overall strength in this match is greater than last season, so he certainly can't use the same tactics as last season. Therefore, he also took into account the possibility that Wang Lie might score a goal.

If Wang Lie scores... then it's in.

He won't react negatively just because Wang Lie scored a goal.

Clayton Sports should stick to their own game and play the way they want.

Use familiar methods to deal with the half-baked Tyne.

As long as they can outperform Tyne overall, even if Wang Lie performs exceptionally well, it won't change the overall situation.

Not to mention that in the first half of this match, Tyne was also down to ten men, and playing with one less player against Clayton Sports, a team known for its "consistency"...

Rayan Kochea, sitting in front of the home team's coaching bench, remained completely calm and unfazed by Wang Lie's goal.

That goal certainly showcased Wang's exceptional individual ability, but football is not like table tennis, which is what Chinese people excel at. It's a team sport, and to win, you have to rely on the strength of the team, not just rely on one person's brute force.

The renowned French coach remarked to himself.

After the start of the second half, he realized that Tyne was intentionally passing the ball to Wang Lie, hoping to rely on his individual ability to solve the problem.

He didn't know if it was McNeil's idea or Wang Lie's own "dictatorial decision" on the field.

But either way, it would only make him happy, because he knew Tyne was in a hurry.

It's understandable that Tyne, playing with one less player, wanted to make the game easier, but making it easier doesn't mean giving Wang Lie more offensive opportunities...

Isn't this just like last season again?
We only need to contain the King to defeat Tyne.

Tyne FC has indeed shown ambition to go further in this summer's transfer market.

But it's clear that their young head coach, Sam McNeil, may not be able to support Tyne's ambitions, given his abilities and experience.

I wonder when they'll realize this...

Despite having just conceded a goal, Kochea still had the leisure to concern himself with his opponent's "family affairs," demonstrating that he was well-prepared and had considered what to do after Tyne scored.

All Clayton Sports needs to do is continue to play their own game and press Tyne at the same pace as in the first half.

With their stamina rapidly declining, Tyne, playing with one less player, will inevitably collapse sooner or later. At that point, not only will they be unable to score another goal to extend their lead, but Clayton Sports could even score two more, completely sealing the game.

There are some things that Rayan Kochea, as the head coach of Clayton Athletic, shouldn't say, as it can easily give people a negative impression of being "immodest" or "arrogant."

But that's the truth.

With Tyne down to ten men, there's an 80% chance the outcome of the game is already decided.

Against a team like Clayton, who rarely makes mistakes, being down a man is almost fatal.

Clayton Athletic will use their signature possession-based football to move Tyne's players around, forcing them to constantly run and exhaust themselves, ultimately wearing them down.

※※※

It must be said that the actual situation was even more optimistic than Kochea had estimated.

He anticipates that with the constant rotations, Tyne's players will run into fatigue, which will be Clayton Athletic's chance to score again.

However, just seven minutes after Wang Lie helped Tyne pull one back, Clayton Athletic made a series of passes and moves in the attacking third, which forced Tyne, who was down to ten men, to become overwhelmed in defense and eventually exposed a weakness.

Kevin Zimmer delivered a precise diagonal pass to Brazilian striker Eninho, who had made a run into the penalty area. Eninho adjusted his footwork in the direction the ball was rolling and fired a shot that found the near corner of Tyne's goal before Mikel Oni could block it!
Despite falling to the ground quickly, Elliott Goetz was too slow for Eninho's shot; he didn't touch the ball at all, and it flew into the net from near the near post!
"Wow!! Ennio! My God! That's fantastic! This match is amazing! Seven minutes after Wang Weitai pulled one back for Tyne, giving them hope, Clayton Athletic scored again! They've extended their lead to two goals!"

Ashton Road Stadium erupted in cheers once again.

After scoring, Eninho excitedly ran towards the corner flag, pumped his fist at the home fans in the stands, and celebrated the goal with them.

Meanwhile, the Tyne fans in the second-tier stands behind Tyne's goal fell silent once again.

They could only watch as the Clayton Sports fans celebrated their goal.

Wang Lie's goal just now really gave them hope. After all, it's only been thirteen minutes into the second half, and they could easily equalize!

As it turned out, their beautiful dream lasted only seven minutes before they woke up again.

"Sigh! Is this the strength of a four-time Premier League champion?"

Theo Harris, the bar owner, sighed in the crowd.

While Tyne fans were still dreaming of a championship, Clayton Sports had already won the league title for four consecutive seasons.

This is the difference!
"Well, we were overthinking it after all. They're not even in the same league as us..." Robbie Dixie muttered.

He wasn't saying this because they conceded a goal. Anyone who understands football could see from the previous few tens of minutes that Clayton Athletic was stronger than Tyne overall, especially when the game was in their "comfort zone." Clayton Athletic could outmaneuver Tyne's players like dogs just by passing the ball around.

After Dixie finished speaking, he noticed that Jon Berg, who was next to him, turned his head and glanced at him.

This gesture and look seem to have a hidden meaning.

So he asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Berg shook his head: "I was just thinking it's a pity Tang isn't here, otherwise he would definitely have argued with you. That thing..."

Dixie also remembered: "Aren't nobles born nobles, and kings aren't kings from the beginning?"

Berg nodded: "Yes. If Don were here, he would definitely repeat it to you again." Dixie said: "Jon, if we hadn't had a player sent off in today's game, if it were still our home game, I would have 100% faith in Don. But right now, our 'lucky star' is still far away in China..."

Berg remained silent.

Yes, Tang Lin was their "lucky star," but he's not here right now.

Ryan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked, "He'll be watching this game live in China, right?"

Theo Collins asked him, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Hey... I was just... thinking, if he's watching too, will his 'magic' still work?" Ryan said somewhat embarrassedly, revealing his inner thoughts.

"What are you thinking, Ryan? What's the point of going that far?" Dixie thought Ryan was really grasping at straws, actually placing his hopes on some kind of "mystical" practice from thousands of miles away...

Collins turned to Berg and asked, "What time is it in China right now?"

Berg frowned and made a rough guess: "It should be past 2 a.m. on the 23rd, right?"

After saying that, he shook his head: "Tang won't look at it. He has a very regular schedule and never stays up late. This doesn't fit his lifestyle."

As Tang Lin's landlord, Jon Berger was probably the one who knew Tang Lin best among the group, so since he said so, it was most likely true.

Ryan sighed in disappointment.

※※※

Tang Lin sat in front of his computer in his room, wearing headphones, the live broadcast of the Clayton Sports vs. Tyne match reflected in his glasses.

Luo Jin was sighing in the earpiece: "...Clayton Sports is terrifyingly stable! They scored again just seven minutes after Wang Lie scored..."

Zhao Chuanfeng said, "Actually, before the goal, Clayton Athletic wasn't at a disadvantage on the field. We might have thought that after Wang Lie scored, the Clayton Athletic players would be psychologically affected by conceding the goal, and that this would affect their technical movements... but actually, they weren't affected at all. We often talk about 'the pedigree of a great club,' what is 'the pedigree of a great club'? This is it. Quickly adjusting after conceding a goal and minimizing the negative impact. Besides, they already had one more player than Tyne, so there was really no need for them to panic after conceding a goal..."

Now that he's become a football fan, given Tang Lin's personality, he'll naturally want to learn more about the basic information of each Premier League team.

Hearing the commentator say this, he couldn't help but think of the Clayton Sports history he had read.

If he remembers correctly, Clayton Sports was a "yo-yo club" that was frequently relegated from the top flight in the 1990s.

Later, a local tycoon who loved the team bought the club and invested heavily for more than a decade, allowing Clayton Sports to finally transform from an "ugly duckling" into a "swan".

This team has won a total of twelve—oh, now it's thirteen—thirteen Premier League titles and three Champions League titles, all in this century.

To be more specific, they only started winning championships in the latter part of the first decade of this century.

Everyone now says that Clayton Sports is already a powerhouse. If we follow the popular online standard that a powerhouse should have at least one Champions League title, then Clayton Sports' history as a powerhouse is actually only eighteen years long – they won their first Champions League title in the 2018-2019 season.

He originally thought that the "foundation" of European football clubs had to be accumulated over decades or even centuries.
As a result, Clayton Sports has the "background of a powerhouse," so it seems that something that can be achieved in less than 20 years doesn't seem so impressive after all.

Therefore, as a new fan, Tang Lin dismissed Zhao Chuanfeng's claims and did not really believe the expert.

What "family background"? They were just lucky...

Just two and a half minutes before this goal, Tyne also had a very good chance.

At that time, Wang Lie received the ball in the penalty area and pretended to shoot, but instead passed the ball sideways to the far post.

However, Vitini, who was making a run at the far post, hit the ball into the side netting.

If that ball had gone in, the course of the game would have been completely different, and Clayton Sports probably wouldn't have had the chance to demonstrate what it means to be a "super team"...

Therefore, he believes that the so-called universally accepted laws, truths, and common sense in the football circle are nothing more than hindsight biases, "little girls" carefully dressed up by the victors, with a great deal of randomness and no reference value.

This is like a rich kid who, after achieving success, tells the outside world that his success is due to the well-rounded, high-quality qualities and diverse interests he cultivated from a young age, which broadened his horizons and perspective—he might not be wrong to say that, but Tang Lin would ask another question:
"Who paid for all the careful nurturing and diverse interests you received as a child?"

Successful people easily regard their success as "inevitable," completely ignoring the various "coincidences" on the road to success, as if they were chosen by heaven and their success was predetermined.

He doesn't understand football very well, but he understands human nature, and he believes the two should be interconnected.

If the so-called "pedigree of a prestigious club" is so powerful, shouldn't weaker teams just surrender? What's the point of even competing? They can't beat a club with a deep-rooted history anyway...

He has only been playing football for a short time, but he thinks one of the great joys of football is its "unpredictability"—what's the point if the outcome of a football match is always determined by the strength of both sides before the game?
The first football match he watched live was Tyne's 3-2 victory over Scorsese at home.

Before that match, Tyne was a relegation-threatened team, while Scorsese were last season's runners-up. On paper, Tyne would have undoubtedly lost.

If it really is such a match, he believes it will be the first and the last match he has ever watched.

He wouldn't be interested in something like that.

What excited him was Wang Lie's "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" spirit.
Even if there really is such a rule as "family background of a wealthy family", then there must be people who are dedicated to breaking this rule.

For him, that's one of the most interesting things about football.

On the computer screen in front of him, the television broadcast gave a close-up shot to Tyne's star player and captain, Wang Lie.

Instead of clapping and encouraging everyone as he did at the start of the second half, he pulled Vitini aside and said something to him.

※※※

"That's not a problem. Mistakes are part of the game, Vitini."

Wang Lie noticed that Vitini's emotions had been fluctuating since he missed the chance he had given him a few minutes earlier.

In a normal match, he believed that Vitini wouldn't go to such lengths for a goal he missed.

But this match was truly special.

The team was down to ten men in the first half, and they managed to pull one back, giving everyone hope... If that last shot had gone in, they would have tied the score.

He failed to capitalize on the opportunity, and shortly after, Clayton Athletic scored!
It would be asking too much of Vitini to remain calm now.

Vitini said anxiously and self-reproachfully, "But if my ball..."

“There are no ifs, Vitini, there are no ifs in football. So don’t dwell on the past, look forward. You want to turn Tyne into a powerhouse, right? How do you think an ordinary team becomes a powerhouse? By enduring countless matches like today and still not being defeated! If you want to help Tyne become a powerhouse, then you first can’t be defeated in matches like these!”

At this point, Wang Lie patted his back forcefully, making a dull sound, as if he were beating a drum.

A loud drum requires a heavy hammer.

"Come, follow me!"

Then he put his arm around Vitini's shoulder and pulled him toward the other teammates.

They ran over to Miguel Ribeiro, who was staring blankly at the scoreboard, seemingly lost in thought.

Wang Lie ran up to him and slapped him hard on the back: "What are you spacing out for?! Come with me!"

Ribeiro paused for a moment, then saw Wang Lie with his arm around Vitini running towards the others, and quickly followed.

He didn't know what Wang Lie was going to do, but he knew that Wang Lie must have a reason for doing so, and that he was right.

So if he tells me to keep up, then I'll just keep up.

And so, Wang Lie, like a train, led the two to find other teammates, added them to his team, and then ran off to find the next one...

He quickly gathered all the Tyne players on the field, because some of them didn't wait for him to find them; they came up to him as soon as they saw his team.

While the Clayton Athletic players ran to celebrate with Eninho, the Tyne players were already gathered in a circle having a "meeting".

"Listen to their cheers, brothers!"

Wang Lie pointed to the stands, where the cheers of Clayton Sports fans resounded through the sky.

"They thought we were doomed to lose this game, which is why they cheered like that. But I want to say, this is our chance... Brothers, the opportunity has come! Because they think we've been defeated, they'll let their guard down and become arrogant and complacent... This is our chance! I know everyone is gritting their teeth and persevering, but now that we've come this far, wouldn't it be a shame to give up? When you get home tonight, lying in bed and reviewing this game, won't you regret it?!"

He turned to look at his teammates. No one answered his question, but everyone's expressions were serious. They were seriously considering what Wang Lie had said, and they weren't letting it go in one ear and out the other.

That's enough to explain the problem.

So Wang Lie reached his hand into the center of the circle.

Just when everyone thought he was about to give everyone a high five, he clenched his fist tightly.
"What I said at halftime still stands—pass me the ball! Let's go and tell Clayton Sports that they are not the same as they were five months ago, and neither are we!"

(End of this chapter)