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Chapter 218 The Light of the Future
"It seems the Scorsese's pre-match quiet wasn't a smokescreen to mislead Tyne, but rather they genuinely calmed themselves down... That's really impressive!"

Liu Zhong, watching the ongoing match from the media section of Lize Park Stadium, remarked with emotion.

“You learn from your mistakes. Last season, they came to the away game with the mindset of getting revenge on Wang Lie. They set high expectations before the game, but ended up being ridiculed by all of England for a week. If they hadn’t beaten Sofia United 8-0 in the next round and turned the ridicule on Sofia United, they might have continued to be ridiculed…” Guo Xuequan said next to him.

As the two were discussing this, the game between Tyne and the Scouts had been going on for twenty minutes.

The current score is 0:0.

In this game, McNeil used the same starting lineup as before.

The midfield trio remains Isala, Pisano, and Cabella.

The starting forwards remain Wang Lie, Vitini, and Miguel.

The only changes made were to the defense, with center-back Claire Oni replacing Helic, who was sent off and suspended in the last match. Oni's center-back partner was Maje Katic.

In addition, young left-back Anderson Nova, who performed well in the last game, replaced Charlie Cohen, who had been starting the game.

The right-back position will still be held by Jacob Barnabas.

Goalkeeper Elliott Goetz.

The situation on the Scottish side has changed noticeably since the two teams faced off last season.

For example, Chi Zhen was moved from his original position as left winger or left midfielder to the center, becoming a more pure striker, and partnered with Victor Del Mora in a two-striker formation.

The team's starting formation has also changed from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2.

They missed out on Lenny Isala in the summer transfer market, but found a replacement – ​​Argentine international Damian Reil, who started the match.

However, a substitute is just a substitute.

The Scotts were interested in Lenny Isara mainly because he possesses strong defensive abilities and also has a certain ability to pass the ball; he is not simply a pure defensive workhorse.

Damian Rael, as a defensive midfielder, has better passing ability than Isara, but he is small in stature and his defensive ability is far inferior.

The original idea behind the team was to find a defensive midfielder who possessed strong defensive capabilities and a certain ability to distribute the ball, in order to help organize the midfield.

This would allow the team to sell their original key defensive midfielder, Mihaita Radu.

As a result, because Isara, a player they had spent a lot of time and effort recruiting, was snatched away, Skós was forced to find a replacement at the last minute. At this point, there were not many suitable targets left for Skós to choose from in the transfer market.

Moreover, due to Tyne's involvement this year, player prices in the transfer market are generally higher than in previous years.

So even if the Scorsese have suitable candidates, the other party knows that the Scorsese's original target has been intercepted and they urgently need to bring in new reinforcements. They will usually raise the price by 15% to 20% on the original basis.

Moreover, not all players that the Scorsese people want are willing to come.

After all these screenings, the new defensive midfielder wearing the Scots jersey is none other than the 24-year-old Argentine international Damian Reil.

As a result, Mihaita Radu, the defensive midfielder who was originally slated for sale, could not be given up and continued to serve as a starting player for the team. After all, although his footwork was rough, his running ability was excellent and he was good at sweeping and defending, which was perfect for being Rael's bodyguard and making up for Rael's average defensive shortcomings.

The new season also saw the Scots team encounter the problem of needing to adapt to new tactics, which is why they were held to a draw by Kensington in the first round of the league.

However, their adaptation period is obviously shorter than that of Tyne, as they were able to defeat Bournemouth 3-1 in the last round of the league.

After all, the new tactics of the Scorsese team are still improvements on the basis of the original team's tactics.

The main issue is that Chi Zhen's performance as a striker in these two matches has been mediocre.

They missed a clear scoring opportunity in the first match and didn't have any standout performances in the second.

However, in today's match, Chi Zhen showed excellent form from the very first touch of the ball – his first touch of the match was a control of a high ball.

He brought the ball to a steady stop at his feet.

This ball control was like flipping a switch.

Following this stop, Chi Zhen suddenly accelerated from a standstill, leaving Barnabas, who was coming up to defend him, behind, and dribbled diagonally toward the penalty area.

Then, after drawing Matic over, they crossed the ball.

Unfortunately, his cross was cleared by the timely arrival of center-back Claire Oni.

Although he didn't score, his performance, from controlling the ball to breaking through and then crossing, still proved how good his form was.

This happened in the third minute of the match.

Subsequently, the area where Chi Zhen was located indeed became the main target of the Skos people's attack.

However, despite Chi Zhen's outstanding performance, the Scotts did not manage to suppress Tyne on the field.

Although the team is still in the process of gelling together, the chemistry the players are showing on the field is indeed different from before.

Last season's runner-up, Scorsese, couldn't find a way to beat Tyne on the road.

The two sides played evenly for the first twenty minutes of the match.

"But actually, compared to the performance of the Scotts, I think Tyne's performance surprised me more..." Guo Xuequan said. "If the fact that they managed to draw with the defending champions with one less player in the last league match was the ultimate display of Wang Lie's individual ability and a special case, then I think the first twenty minutes of this match can well demonstrate the overall level of this team."

Liu Zhong nodded in agreement: "Tane played very steadily against the Scorsese players. Whether it was the passing and control between players or his individual handling of the ball, he gave people a sense of...reassurance."

“You’re right, it’s about a sense of security. I remember the last time these two teams played, Scorsese scored in the first minute. It was obvious that Tyne’s players were a bit nervous and lacked confidence, and they made mistakes immediately under Scorsese’s high pressing. This time it’s different. Tyne defended Chi Zhen’s cross after his breakthrough.”

Liu Zhong guessed, "I wonder if it was the draw against Clayton Sports in the last game that gave these guys confidence? Or was it the experience of qualifying for the Champions League last season that honed the team? Or maybe it's the addition of some top players this summer that has strengthened the squad..."

“Yes, both,” Guo Xuequan said. “Anyone who still labels Tyne as a ‘mercenary’ team will be at a disadvantage. This team has been completely transformed.”

※※※

"Twenty minutes into the game, we're still tied 0-0 with the Scouts. Ryan, when is that 'good thing' you were talking about going to happen?"

Jon Berger teased Ryan from the stands.

"What's the rush, Jon? You yourself said the game has only been going on for twenty minutes... It's only been twenty minutes, and you're already expecting something good to happen? Isn't that a bit too greedy?"

Berg was amused by Ryan's words: "I don't know who's greedier between us! At least I didn't use Don as a 'wishing machine'..."

Tang Lin listened to the two old men joking about him and gave a helpless smile.

The banter between Mr. Berg and his friends illustrates one thing.

That is, when Tyne faced the Scorsese again at home, Tyne's fans weren't as nervous as they were the last time.

They even have time to joke around and chat now.

It didn't look like they were watching a tense and exciting game, but rather like they were taking a weekend vacation...

Tang Lin knew, of course, that these people weren't really on vacation, nor were they truly indifferent to the progress of the game; they were simply taking advantage of the breaks in the game—such as when the ball was dead—to chat for a few minutes.

Even so, it was enough for Tang Lin to remark that Tyne's fans were now clearly more confident.

Everything is changing for this team.

As the game resumed, the bickering Mr. Berg and Ryan turned their attention back to the field, cheering on their team.

Tang Lin also pulled his wandering thoughts back and focused on the game in front of him.

The league has just begun, and they are already facing off against last season's champions and runners-up. If this schedule had happened last season, it would have been a "catastrophic disaster" for Tyne.

But this season, it feels like... it's just so-so?
On the field, it was Scorsese who was attacking with the ball, but the Tyne fans in the stands did not scream in panic; they were simply cheering for their team.

Tang Lin didn't shout along with them. He has his own style of watching football. Unless he gets particularly excited, he is usually quite rational and calm.

※※※

Although his starting position is forward, he has played as a left winger and left midfielder before, so Chi Zhen's range of movement in the game is actually quite large and is not limited to the forward position.

Of course, this is also what head coach Josep Gil has requested.

His position and that of his other strike partner, Victor Del Mora, are not fixed, and they need to constantly participate in receiving the ball in midfield.

Chi Zhen has now moved to midfield to receive the ball.

However, as soon as he got the ball, he was defended by two Tyne players.

Chi Zhen initially attempted a one-two pass, but he quickly realized he was being unrealistic and almost lost possession of the ball.

So he quickly passed the ball to the teammate who was closest to him.

Although he didn't deliver a spectacular 1v2 performance, commentator Luo Jin still praised Chi Zhen's performance: "This isn't the first time Chi Zhen has faced double-team defense from Tyne in this game. Clearly, this was specifically arranged by McNeil. Contrary to what some netizens think, despite his mediocre performance in the first two games, McNeil hasn't underestimated Chi Zhen..."

Commentator Zhao Chuanfeng said, "That's right, McNeil's arrangement was absolutely prescient. In fact, since the start of this game, the most active player on the Scotts' side has been Chi Zhen. His performance today is completely different from the previous two games!"

The two commentators were actually aware of the cyberbullying and criticism Chi Zhen had faced in the first two rounds of the league.

But they couldn't speak up for Chi Zhen at the time. After all, in the world of football, actual performance is the most valuable standard. If a player has been performing poorly recently, any explanation would sound like making excuses for failure.

They keep praising Chi Zhen now because Chi Zhen's performance in this game was indeed very good, a world of difference from the previous two games.

The reason they did this was because they wanted to tell Chinese viewers watching on television:

Whether it's Wang Lie or Chi Zhen, they are both Chinese players and deserve support and tolerance.

After all, no one wants to see Wang Lie and Chi Zhen really become bitter enemies in the national team, right?

If the two best players on the national team were to have a falling out, it would be a catastrophe.

This will seriously affect the results of next year's World Cup.

As for those who say that Chi Zhen shouldn't be competing with Wang Lie, he took on the heavy responsibility when Wang Lie was in a slump, leading the national team to an outstanding performance in the World Cup qualifiers. Now that he has successfully completed his mission, he should be relieved of his burden and the core of the national team should be returned to Wang Lie...

Neither Luo Jin nor Zhao Chuanfeng agreed. They didn't think the competition between Chi Zhen and Wang Lie was a bad thing; on the contrary, they were happy to see such healthy competition—provided it was healthy.

The kind of mutual attacks that "ignore the facts" like those in fan circles, the conspiracy theories that shoot arrows first and then draw targets, and the binary opposition of "either/or" are definitely not "healthy competition".

※※※

The Scorsese attack failed to materialize; they were stopped by Tyne just as they reached the edge of Tyne's penalty area.

Skos' attacking midfielder Ryan Boissière passed the ball forward, attempting to find striker Victor Del Mora, but the experienced Tyne center-back Mattia Katic anticipated the move and intercepted Boissière's pass.

Unlike the second half of the previous round against Clayton Athletic, after intercepting the ball, Katic did not choose to simply and directly look for Wang Lie.

When he intercepted the ball, Renzo Pisano was not far from him, so Katic could pass the ball directly to Pisano.

As the ball rolled toward Pisano, Chi Zhen, who was closest to him, also lunged at him.

Pisano didn't engage with him, but instead passed the ball back to Isara, the defensive midfielder on his inside.

Isara, facing the direction of the attack, didn't need to adjust; as soon as the ball came in, he had already spotted Vitini in the open space on the left flank.

So he also pushed the ball up without stopping it, just like Pisano had passed it back.

The football rolled 15 meters on the ground before being accurately delivered to Vitini's feet.

At this moment, there wasn't a single Scorsese player within a five-meter radius of Vitini!

"Simple, fast, and direct, but not just passing the ball to the king... Tyne's midfield combination is gradually finding its rhythm." Commentator Luke Milne nodded repeatedly as he watched the ball.

Before receiving the ball, Vitini looked back to observe, specifically looking for Wang Lie's position.

They discovered that Wang Lie was positioned at the very front, aligned with the Skos's defensive line. However, the Skos's defensive line was positioned quite far forward, leaving a large gap behind them.

He knew exactly what he had to do.

As the ball rolled towards him, he turned and let it slip between his legs.

Adjust directly without stopping the ball, saving time!

At the same time, Wang Lie saw that Vitini was about to receive the ball, but he did not rush forward immediately. Instead, he stood still and did not rush to start.

This will draw the attention of the Scots defenders to Vitini with the ball, especially Scots captain Masson Harper next to him.

As expected, Harper's gaze immediately fell on Vitini, who was turning around.

Seeing this, Wang Lie slightly adjusted his position, standing in Harper's blind spot to the side and behind.

He wasn't worried about being offside, even though he would be offside if a line were drawn right now. But Vitini wouldn't turn around and pass the ball immediately, so being offside now doesn't guarantee he'll be offside later.

His priority now is to hide himself in the blind spots of the Scottish defenders' vision and attention.

As he expected, after turning around, Vitini caught up with the ball and began to dribble forward.

While he was dribbling the ball, Wang Lie still didn't rush out immediately.

On the contrary, Miguel Ribeiro, who was far away, couldn't wait to rush forward.

His charge caused Scots' center-back Joey Liberty to turn around and look behind him, trying to see what was happening behind him.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lie suddenly launched his attack!
While dribbling the ball, Vitini didn't forget to observe the situation ahead. When he saw Wang Lie leaning forward, he knew that he was about to start his run.

He immediately passed the ball forcefully into the penalty area of ​​the Scorsese team!

The Tyne fans, who had already cheered when Vitini got the ball, cheered even louder when they saw this!

When Mason Harper turned around, he only saw Wang Lie's back!

Just as he was startled, he saw Joey Liberty!

He felt half relieved.

Although he is a tall center-back, Liberty is not slow at all. He and Feng Qiyuan of Witton Hill are currently the two fastest center-backs in the Premier League.

Libert quickly caught up and soon took advantage of Wang Lie's slowed-down state while receiving the ball to reach out and grab Wang Lie's shoulder.

But he immediately released his hand, just to make it easier to get closer to Wang Lie.

Wang Lie received the ball and pushed it forward, heading towards the penalty area.

Liberty and he were neck and neck!
"king!"

"Look at this ball!"

The commentators' shouts and the cheers from the stands blended together.

When Liberty was racing against Wang Lie, he wasn't just competing in speed; he was also constantly using his body to bump into Wang Lie, hoping to lose precise control of the ball while Wang Lie was distracted, thus creating an opportunity for him to intercept the ball.

If Wang Lie were truly thirty-eight years old, he really wouldn't be able to withstand such a violent impact.

But Wang Lie is thirty-two years old now!
Thirty-two-year-old Wang Lie is the world's top football player, and such interference is completely ineffective!
With Wang Lie's next touch of the ball just outside the penalty area, a mere step away, Lieber had no choice but to resort to his last resort...

He forcefully grabbed Wang Lie's shoulder with one hand, pulling his center of gravity backward, and at the same time, he stomped his foot, trying to tackle the football away before Wang Lie could!

He didn't care whether it was a foul or not; his priority was to stop this attack!

Wang Lie felt a huge pull from behind, but he still braced himself against it and kicked the ball first.

He could no longer control the ball precisely, but he managed to poke it first. The instant he pokes the ball away, Liberty's foot tackled the outside of his right foot that had touched the ball!

Wang Lie let out a miserable cry as his horse stumbled and fell to the ground...

The cheers from the stands at Lize Park Stadium instantly turned into a huge chorus of boos!

At the same time, even such a loud chorus of boos couldn't drown out that sharp whistle!

"Foul! Libert committed a foul with a sliding tackle! Scorsese is finished! This is a red card offense!"

"Libert was the last defender for Scorsese, and he tackled Wang outside the penalty area. This is bad!"

"Red card! That's definitely a red card! Libert tackled someone from behind!"

Commentators from all over the world exclaimed in surprise.

Unexpectedly, such an accident suddenly occurred during what had been a normal and uneventful match!

Standing on the sidelines, Scots' head coach Josep Gil became nervous when Vitini passed the ball to Wang Lie.

His entire body was tense, remaining motionless in a forward-leaning posture.

Until Libert tackled Wang Lie from behind...

He felt as if he had been punched hard in the face, and his whole body jerked backward.

This attack from Tyne looked no different from the previous ones. The Scorsese defense had successfully withstood those previous assaults, but then suddenly, they launched a fatal blow!
An ordinary interception of the ball in the backfield, which led to a transition from defense to offense, resulted in such serious consequences!

The Spaniard, Gil, angrily cursed in his native language: "Puta madre!" (Note 1)

※※※

"Red card! Red card!"

In front of the substitutes' bench, assistant coach Cesar Varo was shouting at the fourth official.

The referee was signaled to show Libert a red card.

Head coach Sam McNeil, standing nearby, was clapping and cheering.

He wasn't just applauding Libert's potential red card—which would have given Tyne a numerical advantage—but more importantly, he was excited about what his team had shown in that transition, because that was exactly what he wanted the team to do in training!

Libert's foul only powerfully proves the correctness of his tactical approach—as long as we can execute what we've practiced, we can create similar dangerous opportunities!
After nearly two months of stumbling and struggling, he finally saw a ray of light shining from the future through the fog.

※※※

"That damn red card!!"

When Libert tackled Wang Lie, the Tyne fans in the stands simultaneously roared and booed.

They were all furious that Liberty's foul had ruined Tyne's one-on-one chance.

But amidst the angry crowd, Ryan suddenly turned and hugged Tang Lin: "Thank you, Tang!! You brought good luck to the team!"

Jon Berg glared at him and pulled him away: "What nonsense are you spouting? Our one-on-one chance was just shoved away like that! What kind of luck is that?!"

Ryan, however, argued vehemently: "Libert will definitely be sent off with a red card, which will give us an extra man! The game has only been going on for a little over twenty minutes, and we already have one more man than them. Isn't that a good thing?"

Berg sneered: "In the last game, Clayton also had one more player than us, and what happened?"

Ryan was stunned.

He forgot about that...

Yes, if a large number of people means a good thing, then why didn't Clayton Athletic win their last league match?

Therefore, the number of people cannot be equated with "good luck".

Seeing Ryan's discomfiture, Berg laughed and patted Ryan on the shoulder, saying, "So Ryan, drink less and keep your head clear."

※※※

Note 1: This is a Spanish swear word, similar to "fuck," and "puta" means "prostitute."

(End of this chapter)