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Chapter 298 How should we face each other when we meet again?

While running at high speed, instead of stopping the ball, choose to flick it from behind with your heel to the other side.

Wang Lie used this move frequently when he was young.

It requires excellent physical fitness and core strength, and the ability to control the exertion of every muscle in the body.

Otherwise, the sudden stop and change of direction after landing could be too much for either the knees or ankles to handle – the impact on the joints at that moment is enormous.

Later, as he got older, Wang Lie used it less, naturally because his joints couldn't take it anymore.

If you insist on using it, you'll have to slow down to avoid getting hurt. Once you slow down, you won't be able to achieve the effect of a surprise attack.

By the time you take a few more steps to chase the ball, the opposing defenders have already closed the door and stopped you.

So after Wang Lie broke the deadlock for the team, those who really knew what they were doing weren't focusing on the goal itself, but rather on the upward change that occurred before Wang Lie scored.

Before the game, many people were speculating whether Wang Lie was really injured. Even though McNeil put Wang Lie in the starting lineup, it still couldn't completely dispel everyone's doubts.

After all, there are precedents of players playing while injured.

So even if Wang Lie scores a goal, let alone the starting lineup, it might not convince everyone that he wasn't injured.

After all, there are examples of players scoring goals while playing injured...

However, the way this goal was scored speaks volumes.

Sudden stops and changes of direction while running at high speed put tremendous pressure on the knees and ankles, yet Wang Lie was able to execute them so perfectly, even more visually striking than when he was younger.

That means that both his knees and ankles withstood the test and there were no problems.

The fact that he was able to score such a goal means that either his "injury" does not affect his normal game at all, or he is indeed not injured.

Regardless of the reason, the conclusion is the same.

All the speculation and debate surrounding Wang Lie's injury has come to an end.

Mailer Shapman, watching television, let out a long sigh.

He knew he would face the toughest test of his Sorford United managerial career next week.

If he doesn't pass, his days at Sofia are probably over!
Meanwhile, in front of the home team's bench at the stadium, Wolverhampton's manager Paul Cody remained expressionless and unmoved.

They seemed completely unsurprised by the goal they conceded...

Of course, it wasn't surprising, because he was already numb when he saw Wang Lie in the starting lineup before the game.

From that time on, he could roughly guess how Wang Lie would perform in the competition.

He even told the assistant coach that Wang Lie would definitely score a goal in the game.

As for the reason, it's because he needs to prove he's not injured...

The assistant coach was quite puzzled at the time, completely unable to understand what kind of thought process this was.

Why do I need to prove that I'm not injured?
Logically speaking, wouldn't it be better to make the opponent think he was injured?

Especially considering that the next match is a crucial game for Tyne against Sofia United.

In the assistant coach's understanding, if he were Tyne's head coach, he would definitely feign weakness in the game against Wolverhampton, bringing on Wang Lie as a substitute to deceive Sofia United into thinking he was injured. This way, they could catch Sofia United off guard in the League Cup next Tuesday.

As it turned out, Tyne not only didn't hide anything, but also announced the starting lineup early on, as if they were afraid that the rumors about Wang Lie's injury would spread more and more...

Wang Lie, why did he need to prove that he wasn't injured?
What benefit would this bring him?

The assistant coach couldn't understand it, but Paul Cody understood it perfectly.

Because he knew that Wang Lie was a proud person. How could such a proud person not give his all in the league just because he had to play a League Cup match against Sofia United?
You should know that Wang Lie has one thing in common: no matter what the competition is, he always gives it his all. You will never see him cheating or loitering during a match.

Why did his voluntary request to play attract so much attention?
Isn't it because he won't leave the field unless he's injured?

If that's the case, then why do people think Wang Lie was going to put on an act during his match against Woolf Hampton and pretend to be injured?

A player like that will give his all, no matter how much he has.

Even if you ask him to exert 80% of his effort, he will feel very uncomfortable.

Based on his understanding of Wang Lie, Paul Cody was not surprised by the goal conceded.

"I understand!"

Just as Paul Cody remained silent, the assistant coach standing next to him suddenly spoke up.

"A record for consecutive league goals! Wang will definitely give it his all to continue this record!"

Cody remained silent upon hearing the assistant coach's words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

They simply remained silent, silently turning their gaze back to Wang Lie.

He still holds the same view he had last season: Wang Lie is the most indispensable player for this Tyne team.

But unlike last season, he no longer fantasizes that he can defeat Tyne by simply stopping Wang Lie.

It's clear that Tyne has gained momentum and his team alone cannot stop him.

He suddenly started to look forward to it.

Looking forward to the League Cup match next Tuesday.

When Wang Lie returns to Redstone Stadium, how will the Sofia United fans in that stadium react?

※※※

"...In a Premier League match that concluded this afternoon, Tyne defeated Wolverhampton 2-1 away from home thanks to goals from Wong and Onee. Wong opened the scoring for Tyne with a brilliant goal, which seemed to dispel doubts about his injury. This goal also extended his consecutive league scoring streak to sixteen games..."

In a bar called "Red Union," the television is showing the evening sports news.

The bar was crowded and noisy; even the news on TV was almost inaudible.

However, no one cared what the news said; they were just talking about the news itself.

"Wang is in such good form, how will Sofia United deal with him next Tuesday?"

"It might not be that he's in good form; maybe he's forcing himself to play while injured? Everyone knows how much he cares about that record..."

"Stop fooling yourselves! Everyone knows he wasn't injured at all! Others may not know him, but don't we? Could someone with an injury have pulled off such a sudden stop and lane change at high speed?!"

Someone shouted a question, silencing the arguing customers and bringing a rare moment of quiet to the bar.

The sound of the television news broadcast then came on:

"...The fourth round of the League Cup between Tyne and Sofia United will be held next Tuesday. Wang Lie will be traveling to Manchester with Tyne. This will be his first return to Redstone Stadium since leaving Sofia United, and his first time stepping onto the Redstone Stadium pitch as an opponent of Sofia United in twelve years..."

In the quiet bar, someone stood up: "Guys, I think we should really think about how to face Wang in Tuesday's game. Should we welcome him or boo him?"

Everyone turned to look at the speaker. One of them asked, "And you, Alex, are you going to welcome him or boo him?"

“I won’t boo him, but I won’t welcome him either,” said Alex Raven, the one who spoke first, shaking his head.

Someone asked him, "I can understand not booing him, after all, he brought us so much joy when he was at Sofia. But why not welcome him? This is his return to Redstone Stadium, his first time back since leaving Sofia..."

Alex Raven explained, "Because there's no room for sentimentality in Tuesday's game. Wang is definitely not here for nostalgia, nor will he show mercy to Sofia United out of consideration for the past. If I approach this game with the intention of welcoming him, I'm afraid I'll end up not being able to accept his ruthlessness..."

His words silenced the crowd in the bar.

Because everyone was reminded of that league match last season.

Tyne's home game against Sofia United will be Wang Lie's first encounter with his former club since leaving Sofia United.

Before that match, everyone knew that Wang Lie was very dissatisfied with the way Sofia had driven him away and was holding a grudge. So he would definitely treat this match as a revenge match and vent his resentment and anger.

The people in the bar naturally thought of this as well.

When they traveled north with the team to Newcastle, they were mentally prepared for the possibility that Sofia United would lose to Tyne away from home, that Wang Lie would score, and that he might even celebrate after scoring, slapping Heldon in the face on the spot...

They had thought of all of these things.

But they still didn't expect Wang Lie to be so angry and resentful... Six goals and three assists, contributing to all the goals in this match!
When they first saw Wang Lie score, some of them even started cursing at Heldon.

Look what you've done, you Swedish idiot!
Seeing Wang Lie score the second goal, they started cursing at General Manager Jonathan Hall:

Trash! The crimes you and that idiot Heldon committed together are now being borne by Sofia!

After Wang Lie completed his hat-trick and scored another goal, the group fell silent.

He simply sat in his seat in the stands at Lize Park Stadium, watching the game without saying a word.

During halftime, as they discussed the situation amongst themselves, many felt that Wang Lie had gone a bit too far. Seeing him run towards the center circle with the ball after each goal, they wondered if he had some deep-seated grudge against Sofia United…

Everyone understood his dissatisfaction with Heldon and Hall, and supported Wang Lie in seeking revenge against them.

But they felt that the hat trick was enough for Wang Lie to vent his emotions.

But Wang Lie was still not satisfied.

This made them feel that Wang Lie was being too ruthless...

Although in the end they did succeed in getting Heldon fired by the club, thus getting rid of an enemy.

But it also cemented Sofia United's place on the pillar of historical shame – the biggest defeat in history, 0-9, a stain that will probably not be erased even a hundred years from now.

It's really hard for Sofia fans to accept Wang Lie's revenge in a calm and peaceful manner.

In any case, based on what they knew, many Sofia United fans immediately stopped supporting Wang Lie after that match—when Wang Lie left Sofia United, many people still felt sympathy for him, but after that match, many people stopped supporting him, and some even turned against him...

After all, even if they like Wang Lie, it's only because he's a player for Sofia United that they like him.

Ultimately, they are still fans of Sofia United.

As one of England's most successful clubs, Sofia United has a history of superstars on par with Wang Lie. These superstars are part of Sofia United's glorious history, not the other way around.

In the dispute between Wang Lie and Sofia United, they sympathized with Wang Lie's plight and were very dissatisfied with the club's actions, but this did not mean that they had to completely stand against the club and hope that Sofia United would become a laughing stock in the world.

Therefore, if Wang Lie truly becomes an enemy of Sofia United, rather than an enemy of Heldon and Hall, then almost all Sofia United fans will no longer have any sentimental attachments and will sever all ties with Wang Lie from now on.

That's why Alex Raven said that these Sofia United fans have very mixed feelings about Wang Lie right now.

To say they've become enemies is absolutely untrue. After all, Wang Lie did bring them many wonderful memories during his time at Sofia United, and the club's most glorious achievement in history, the unprecedented "Seven-Time Champions," was brought to them by Wang Lie.

If the glorious history of Sofia United is likened to a crown, then the "seven-time champion" title is undoubtedly the largest and most dazzling jewel in that crown.

To say they support Wang Lie... they really can't stand seeing Wang Lie so ruthlessly slap Sofia in the face.

It's just a contradiction.

Amidst this conflicting feeling, they are about to welcome Wang Lie's return.

This stadium has given Wang Lie countless deafening cheers before. So, will this time be a welcome home with applause or boos and curses after the falling out?
“So…” Alex Raven raised his hands, “So, guys, I’ve decided, I’m not going to the game on Tuesday!”

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Then came a deafening roar.

"Not going? Don't be ridiculous, Alex! Weren't you already looking forward to Wang's return the day he left the team?" someone asked in surprise.

The reason everyone was so surprised was that Alex Raven was the most die-hard Wang Lie fan among them.

Back when Wang Lie hadn't left the team yet, he was always kept on the bench by Heldon, and Raven would often verbally abuse Heldon in bars.

Even though Sofia United's performance was quite good during that period, giving many people hope of returning to the Champions League, there were clearly more people supporting Heldon than supporting Wang Lie. Alex Raven also firmly stood by Wang Lie and spoke up for him.

When Sofia United actually terminated Wang Lie's contract and kicked him out, he even started cursing the Sofia United club as well.

Judging from his performance at that time, even if he was happy about the 0-9 loss later, his teammates wouldn't have been too surprised.

He also said that when Wang Lie returns to Redstone Stadium as an opponent of Sofia United, he will definitely go to welcome Wang Lie home.

Now he's saying he won't be going to watch the game live, which is why everyone finds it so unbelievable...

“I’m not kidding, I’m really not going. It’s precisely because I like the King so much that I don’t know how to face him, how to face that match… so I’m just not going,” Alex Raven said, shaking his head.

The people in the room were at a loss for words, seeing Raven's resolute expression.

Advising is definitely useless and unnecessary.

They all knew Raven's personality and temperament; once he made up his mind, he rarely hesitated, and it was difficult for others to sway his ideas.

Otherwise, why would he dare to go against the majority and stand on Wang Lie's side when the whole world was mocking and attacking him?

Because he believes in his own views, he will not doubt himself just because the other side has more people and power.

"Okay, Alex. So you're not even going to watch this game anymore?"

"This is what bar owner Dylan Newell asked."

Alex Raven told him, "Don't worry, Mr. Newt. Even though I won't be there in person, I'll still come to your bar to watch the game live."

Newt laughed and said, "That's good, otherwise how am I supposed to make money off your drinks?"

He cracked a joke, which slightly eased the somewhat somber atmosphere in the bar.

The fact that Alex Raven, who was originally the most looking forward to this game, suddenly announced that he would not go to watch the game live made many people realize that the special nature of this game was probably far beyond their imagination.

The news about Wang Lie on TV had ended, and everyone tacitly agreed not to continue discussing this topic, which could have made everyone feel awkward.

The music continued, the atmosphere was lively, and it seemed as if everything had returned to normal.

(End of this chapter)