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Chapter 243 The Advantage Is on Our Side

When McNeil called out to Wang Lie on the bench, Wang Lie took off his jacket without saying a word, got up and walked out of the bench, and reached out to take the training vest that assistant coach Varo threw to him.

He put the clothes on as he ran toward the warm-up area.

Those Tyne fans in the stands closest to the warm-up area were initially feeling frustrated and pained by their team's two-goal deficit.

Then we saw Wang Lie put on an orange-red training vest and run towards the warm-up area.

They immediately cheered:
"It's the King! The King is about to enter the arena!!"

"Wang! Wang!! China Wang!!"

Their cheers quickly attracted Tyne fans from other sections of the stands.

They looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Lie running to warm up.

So they cheered.

Cheers erupted in the Lize Park stadium; someone unaware of the situation might have thought Tyne had scored...

The television broadcast director understood that viewers would be confused as to why the cheers in the stadium were so much louder.

So after the cheers erupted, we immediately switched to the warm-up area.

A cameraman was already standing outside the warm-up area with his camera, pointing the lens at Wang Lie who was warming up.

When everyone saw Wang Lie warming up on TV, they understood why Tyne's fans cheered even though it was Tyne who conceded the goal—they saw Wang Lie as their savior.

"Beautiful!! The king is finally coming on!" Robbie Dixie, who was just in pain over conceding a goal, has now taken off his mask of pain and excitedly pumped his fist towards the field.

Wang Lie's warm-up not only attracted the attention of the fans, but also caught the eye of Hughes Roma's head coach, Soborg Tobiasson.

He made a decision immediately.

He would call the player who hadn't yet celebrated a goal to his side, give him instructions, and then have him return to the field to relay them to the entire team:
"Stabilize the defense. Park the bus in front of the goal, making sure that no matter where Wang is near the penalty area, he always has at least two players around him, engaging in physical confrontations with him. We must not let him get the ball comfortably..."

With a two-goal lead, Hughesro has no need to take any risks; the safest and most conservative approach is to play it safe.

Especially in the period immediately after Wang Lie was substituted on, the entire Tyne team was inspired by Wang Lie's arrival and their offense became more threatening.

At this point, a clear judgment is essential.

Given Xiu Silu's strength, it's best not to go out and confront Tyne head-on.

If they want to attack, then we'll just take back the bus.

First, we need to withstand Tyne's fiercest offensive during this period.

If Tyne can't score for a short period of time, once their momentum fades, the game will turn around in Hughesro's favor.

We'll consider whether to continue the counter-attack then – if Tyne is unwilling to accept defeat at home and continues to press forward, then we'll play a defensive counter-attacking style.

If Tyne accepts defeat, then Hughesro will naturally accept a two-goal victory and continue parking the bus.

Hughesro was very well prepared for this match.

Contingency plans have been prepared for different situations.

Team head coach Soboch Tobiasson only needs to come up with the pre-prepared plans according to different situations, and there is no need for him to hesitate or think.

Before this game, his strategy for the team was to take advantage of Tyne's rotation to try and score as many points as possible.

Although Tyne's starting lineup was far from finalized at that time, Tobiasson, based on some common sense and experience, judged that Tyne's manager, McNeil, would make significant rotations.

Unless they don't care about their club's first-ever Champions League match next Tuesday...

His judgment proved to be correct, and his arrangements did indeed yield results.

The players executed his tactics perfectly and achieved their intended goals.

In the sixtieth minute or so, the away team took a two-goal lead against the in-form Tyne.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this performance.

So McNeil was forced to bring Wang Lie onto the court earlier than planned—yes, earlier.

Soboch Tobiasson was certain that McNeil had absolutely no intention of bringing Wang Lie on as a substitute in the 60-minute mark.

He probably planned to bring Wang Lie on in the last ten minutes or so of the game to get a feel for the match and prepare for the Champions League game next Tuesday.

As a result, Hughesro's two-goal lead at Tyne's home ground forced McNeil to change his plans at the last minute.

Thinking of this, Tobiasson shook his head slightly.

To be honest, young Sam McNeil was still too impatient.

If he were Tyne's head coach in this match, he wouldn't have brought Wang Lie on so early when the team was down by two goals.

Instead, we should make adjustments to other personnel first, and then see the results.

If the team manages to pull one back, he will decisively bring on Wang Lie, aiming to achieve a draw in this crucial match and at least ensure that the team doesn't lose at home.

If the team can't equalize quickly, he will only bring Wang Lie on in the last ten minutes of the game to get a feel for the game.

He gave up on this match; he lost, and that was that.

McNeil brought on Wang Lie immediately after conceding the second goal, a rash move that could cost them the league title and also impact their Champions League match on Tuesday.

Tobiasson had this idea because Wang Lie had participated in the national team's matches, and his body was bound to be affected, not to mention that he was already thirty-eight years old.

Flying from the UK to Asia, then to Australia, and then back to the UK, covering tens of thousands of kilometers, how could it possibly have no impact on him at all?

And in the last match against Australia, he played for sixty minutes...

To be honest, Soboch Tobiasson still can't understand why Wang Lie did this.

The Chinese team had already secured qualification for the World Cup with one round to spare, so he shouldn't have participated in the final match against Australia. If Tobiasson were Tyne's coach, he would have asked Wang Lie to skip that match and return to his club half a week early.

Wang Lie not only traveled with the team to Australia, but also played for an hour!
It's fucking outrageous!
Soboch Tobiasson thinks it's not that McNeil is unaware of the consequences of Wang Lie's actions, but rather that he doesn't dare offend Tyne's star player.

After all, Tyne Club even gave him access to their private jet, doesn't that demonstrate his status within the club?

Rumors circulate that Wang Lie is the only truly influential person on Tyne's team, while McNeil is merely a figurehead. If Wang Lie weren't unqualified to coach, McNeil might not even be needed...

So despite Tyne's strong start to the league, Soboch Tobiasson believes they won't go far. He thinks competing on multiple fronts this season will be too much for them, ultimately leading to a double defeat...

What he had to do was take advantage of this to gain more points from Tyne.

Last season, under his leadership, Hughesro finished tenth in the league, tied with Brighton Whitehill and Kensington on 54 points. This was Hughesro's best result in the Premier League.

If his team can get three more points, they might even have a chance to qualify for European competition this season!

But Tobiasson is not an overly ambitious person; the team's goal for the new season remains to avoid relegation.

Since the goal is to avoid relegation, it is especially important to win against opponents who are difficult to beat.

Last season, facing Wang Lie, who had declared he would lead the team to the Champions League, Tobiasson made the mistake of underestimating his opponent and still viewed Tyne with preconceived notions, thinking that they were still a "mercenary team".

As a result, they suffered a crushing defeat at home.

This time, he dared not underestimate his opponent. In order to win the match against Tyne, he started preparing two weeks in advance. He didn't pay much attention to the Chinese national team's matches before, but this time he not only paid attention to the two World Cup qualifiers of the Chinese team, but also recorded them and analyzed them repeatedly.

It was so that I could know Wang Lie's latest situation.

That's why he was certain that Wang Lie wouldn't start in the match against him, and that he would even come on as a substitute relatively late...

Although Wang Lie was to be substituted on in the sixty-minute mark, which was a bit unexpected, it didn't matter. It was just a matter of implementing his prepared plan a little earlier.

As the celebrations ended, the Hughesro players noticed Wang Lie running to warm up, and their excitement at being two goals ahead vanished almost entirely.

At this moment, the teammates responsible for relaying the message brought the head coach's latest instructions.

After hearing this, everyone turned to look at the away team's coaching bench on the sidelines.

Their leader, Sobochi Tobiasson, had already returned to his seat on the coach's bench, sitting in a chair, unscrewing a bottle of water, and crossing his legs as he drank.

The boss's calm demeanor somewhat reassured the players, and their captain, Daniel Poker, clapped his hands and said to his teammates:
"We're now leading by two goals! The advantage is on our side! Stay calm and confident! There are still thirty minutes left in the game. Let's hold off their attacks and take a victory home!"

After a five-minute warm-up, Wang Lie and Pisano returned to head coach McNeil.

Wang Lie's warm-up was so eye-catching that many people overlooked Pisano, who was also warming up.

McNeil will bring on two players during this substitution opportunity.

Adjustments were made to the forward line and midfield respectively.

Facing Wang Lie and Pisano, McNeil told them, "Hughesro should park the bus for the rest of the game, and you, Wang, should be heavily marked by them. You can use that to draw their defensive attention and create opportunities for others."

Wang Lie nodded, indicating that he understood.

McNeil continued, "Tell them to take lots of long-range shots and try to score on rebounds. Also, try to create corner kick opportunities."

At this point, he looked at Pisano, the team's primary corner kick taker.

To prepare for the highly competitive Champions League, Tyne has intensified his set-piece training this season, especially attacking corner kicks.

Meeting McNeil's gaze, Pisano responded in simple English: "Okay, boss, got it."

After giving all the instructions, McNeil patted the two men on the back and pushed them toward the fourth official: "Go on the field."

The two men approached the fourth official, who inspected their equipment before bending down to operate the change-of-person number plate.

Taking advantage of the waiting time, Pisano covered his mouth and asked Wang Lie beside him, "What is the target?"

Wang Lie said without hesitation: "Let's aim for a draw and strive for victory."

Pisano laughed: "We're down by two goals..."

Wang Lie nodded and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "That's right, that's why I said we should aim for a draw and strive for victory."

Pisano thought to himself: That's so typical of this guy… As an opponent, his behavior is really annoying. But as a teammate…

To be honest, hearing him say that actually boosted morale!
※※※

Peter Oliver had been somewhat frustrated ever since he saw Wang Lie warming up.

Because he knew he was going to be replaced.

He is still regretting the two opportunities he just missed.

If he had seized even one of those two opportunities, the manager wouldn't have substituted Wang in when there were still more than 30 minutes left in the game, and Wang could have rested a little longer.

Because of his own incompetence, Olivier had to rely on 38-year-old Wang to clean up his mess... He felt ashamed and annoyed.

Wang once told him that he was the most suitable center for Tyne, but he failed to live up to his trust...

The ball rolled out of bounds, and the game entered dead ball time.

The referee also signaled for a substitution.

Peter Oliver turned around, lowered his head, and walked towards the sidelines, preparing to hand over the duties to Wang Lie.

But he had only taken a few steps when he heard Vitini shout behind him, "Where are you going, Peter?!"

Only then did Oliver look up and realize that the substitution board held up by the fourth official on the sidelines didn't have his number 9 next to 99; it was number 39 instead…

It wasn't him who was substituted, but Milton Tucker, another striker in the starting lineup!

I was actually left on the field!?
After exchanging high-fives with Milton Tucker, Wang Lie ran all the way to Oliver and gave him a hard slap on the back.

"The team needs you, Peter. Cheer up!"

Oliver didn't speak, but instead pursed his lips tightly.

※※※

After replacing Tucker with Wang Lie and Van Ginkel with Pisano, Tyne's offensive became even more intense.

They were attacking almost entirely around Hughesro's half of the field.

Meanwhile, Hughesro set up a bus in his own penalty area.

Their overly sophisticated and complex offensive tactics had no chance of being executed against their bus-like formation.

Therefore, Tyne's offense was simple and brutal.

It's either a long-range shot from outside the penalty area or a cross from the wing.

It looked as if Tyne had run out of ideas.

But because Wang Lie was present, no one dared to underestimate such a simple and brutal approach...

His first shot after coming on was a threat!
The football flew low through the crowded penalty area, slipping between legs, heading straight for the bottom left corner of the goal!

Hughesro goalkeeper Jack Morrison dived to his side, but failed to touch the ball!
Just as he broke out in a cold sweat, the football grazed the outside of the goalpost and went out of bounds...

"Oh dear! That ball... just a little short!" Luo Jin felt sorry for Wang Lie. "If that ball had gone in, it would have been so much better!"

Scoring with the first shot on goal is a huge boost to the team's morale.

Meanwhile, there is still plenty of time left in the game, and if Tyne is only one goal behind, he is very likely to equalize the score.

At the very least, there should be a draw as a safety net...

※※※

On the left flank, facing his defender, Hughesro captain Daniel Poch, Vitini first lifted his foot behind the ball and feinted as if to flick it.

But Poker lowered his center of gravity, staring intently at the ball, unmoved.

The feint failed.

This is the most troublesome aspect of positional warfare, because the actions are all performed in a relatively static state, making it easier for the defender to defend.

If he's running, during a counterattack, he only needs a feint to shift his center of gravity to knock his opponent to the ground.

Now...

Vitini chose to force his way through!

After he pedaled another step inwards, he used the outside of his left foot to flick the ball towards the byline, and then accelerated to catch up!

Poker immediately turned around and chased after him.

Vitini didn't actually shake off his opponent, but his acceleration gave him a half-body advantage.

The goal line was very close to him, and he couldn't continue dribbling, so he had to cross the ball directly!
To ensure the ball reached the goal, he crossed it with slightly too much force.

The football flew high toward the far post of the goal.

"Oh dear, that pass... tsk!" Luo Jin frowned, realizing that Vitini hadn't passed the ball well; it was too long!
The football soared high over the near post and headed straight for the far post.

Upon seeing this, goalkeeper Jack Morrison turned on the ground and watched the ball travel across the field.

At the far post, Hughesro's center-back Nassim Mukhtar jumped up, ready to head the ball away – he was unaware of what was behind him, but to be safe he intended to head the ball directly out of bounds.

They'd rather give Tyne a corner than make a mistake.

But just as he jumped up, he felt something was wrong, because a gust of wind came from behind him and blew on the back of his head!
Meanwhile, Jack Morrison was also shocked and immediately made a diving stance...

Because he saw Wang Lie rapidly leaping up behind Mukhtar, already a head taller than him!

"king--"

The cheers from the stands at Lize Park Stadium suddenly grew louder!
As Mukhtar looked up, he caught a glimpse of the source of the gust of wind behind him out of the corner of his eye…

Wang Lie suddenly peered over his head and shoved his head upwards!
He headed the ball toward the goal, and at the same time collided with Mukhtar's back!

Mukhtar was knocked forward by the impact.

Facing a close-range header, Jack Morrison instinctively made a save, but he was completely unable to stop the ball from flying into the goal he was guarding...

"Wang—!! He scored just five minutes after coming on! Incredible efficiency! He has reignited Tyne's hopes!"

(End of this chapter)