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Chapter 306 Someone has to take responsibility.

When Xiao Cheng saw Ribeiro successfully steal the ball from Travi and the ball was flying towards Wang Lie, he almost couldn't help but cheer.

Fortunately, a curse came from beside him at that moment, and he realized that he was in the "enemy camp".

So he forcefully suppressed his inner joy and impulse.

He just kept his eyes glued to the field.

Only after Wang Lie scored did he tense up, lower his head, grit his teeth, and cheer inwardly:
Holy crap, awesome! Wang Lie is awesome!! Fuck him!
※※※

"Ribeiro intercepts! Tyne has a chance! Wang Lie—! Great shot! Beautiful!! Beautiful! A world-class goal!!"

Zhao Zhou, who was commentating on the match in the PiliPili live broadcast room, raised his arms and excitedly stood up from his seat.

"He charged into the lion's den alone! He took on five opponents single-handedly! He was already in a panic after just over ten minutes without scoring! Are you all satisfied now? Wang Lie scored! Let me tell you, don't question anyone else's ability to score against Sofia United!"

Before the goal, many people in the live stream were spamming comments like "When will you score?", "Why hasn't the goal been scored yet?", "Just arrived, has it been scored yet?", "Wang Lie has scored!"...

Some people are genuinely worried about Wang Lie, but others are just troublemakers trying to stir up trouble and create a negative atmosphere.

The sheer number of these comments has indeed affected quite a few people.

It's as if Wang Lie's performance in the entire match is failing if he doesn't score in the first fifteen minutes.

In addition to commentating on the game, Zhao Zhou also had to take time to reassure the fans and alleviate their concerns.

He kept emphasizing that the game had only been going on for a little over ten minutes, and normally it was normal not to have scored at this point.

Besides, how can you tell whether Wang Lie performed well or poorly in a match that lasts only a dozen minutes?
You can't use a ten-minute performance as a basis to stir up trouble...

As soon as he explained, some people in the live chat made sarcastic remarks:

"So what? A goal?"

"Well said, then let's score a goal!"

"Oh, so it's normal not to score in the first ten minutes or so now? You didn't say that when you scored four goals in the first ten minutes or so before..."

It has to be said that even with Wang Lie's current performance, there are still many people who criticize him.

These people used to say things like "being bad at competitive sports is the original sin," as if it were normal for them to criticize Wang Lie when he didn't perform well.

However, even after Wang Lie performed well, these people did not stop criticizing him just because he was no longer bad.

This kind of double standard and schizophrenic behavior fully proves that the so-called "being bad at competitive sports is the original sin" is a complete fallacy.

People who dislike you won't like you no matter how well or poorly you perform. It's just that when you perform exceptionally well, these people can't directly criticize you; they can only resort to sarcastic or cryptic remarks.

But if you don't perform well, they can tear off their so-called "neutral and objective" mask and unleash their full firepower.

Zhao Zhou was actually seething with anger as he looked at the sarcastic comments on the screen.

However, as an official commentator, he cannot directly engage in verbal abuse with netizens in the live stream or in the chat.

Even if you need to respond, you must be reasonable and well-founded, and pay attention to your tone and word choice.

Now that Wang Lie has scored, he can finally vent all his pent-up frustration.

At this point, no matter what he says or how intense his tone is, no one can say a word against it.

Wang Lie's goal is his greatest source of confidence!

Although there will definitely be some sarcastic comments in the live stream at this time, with Wang Lie's goal, Zhao Zhou can completely ignore those rats in the sewers.

Say whatever you want, Wang Lie scored! Are you getting anxious? Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for you to get anxious later!

In high spirits, Zhao Zhou continued to speak out, otherwise, once his emotions calmed down, some things would be difficult to say. After all, he wasn't Wang Lie, who could say whatever he wanted anytime, anywhere, without caring about other people's feelings.

"I know what Wang Lie said before the match was too blunt and made some people uncomfortable. But good medicine tastes bitter, and honest advice is hard to hear. If you felt uncomfortable after hearing what Wang Lie said, you should reflect on whether there's something wrong with yourself. Come on, Wang Lie! Keep playing, keep scoring! Either wake them up, or beat them to a pulp!"

※※※

Just like in their last encounter, Wang Lie did not celebrate after scoring.

However, unlike last time, this time Wang Lie neither rushed into the goal himself nor sent his teammates into the goal to retrieve the ball.

Instead, after seeing the ball fly into the goal, he turned and walked towards Tyne's half of the field.

His teammates excitedly ran up to him and hugged him in celebration.

Despite this, Wang Lie still didn't smile.

Of course, after he said those things before the match, now that Sofia fans see this scene, they might just think he's "hypocritical" and that he's deliberately putting on an act for them.

So, after the initial disappointment and pain of conceding a goal, the clamor in the stands at Redstone Stadium was now mixed with some... boos.

Unlike their previous encounter, where Wang Lie scored the first goal and everyone fell silent, this time it was different from the previous one.

This time, the Sofia United fans finally lost their temper with Wang Lie.

That's normal. Wang Lie scored seven goals in two encounters. Anyone would be angry in that situation...

The friendship between the two sides in the past is being gradually eroded by these goals.

It's entirely conceivable that if Wang Lie continues to score goals like this, one day, the warmth he once had for Sofia United fans will be gone.

If it really comes to that, it will be a very regrettable and heartbreaking thing.

But if you think that this will make Wang Lie spare your pace, you're just being delusional.

Although Wang Lie no longer suffers from the side effects of "extraordinary heart," it doesn't mean his personality will change drastically.

Many things stem from his true inner character; the "extraordinary heart" merely amplifies those traits.

Once he sets his mind on something, no matter how difficult it is, he will definitely do it, even if no one understands or applauds him.

This will not change regardless of whether or not there is the side effect of the "extraordinary heart".

※※※

Xiao Cheng heard boos coming from the stands behind him.

He knew who the Sofia United fans were booing—who else could it be but Wang Lie, who scored the goal? It couldn't be center-back Stephen Travey, who caused the goal to be conceded, could it...wait?

You know what, it actually seems like that's possible!
If this kid hadn't suddenly chosen to dribble forward, how could Tyne have gotten such a good opportunity?

It was Travi's forward run that triggered a series of chain reactions.

Mega was forced to temporarily fill in as a center-back, becoming the weakest link in the defense, which is why Wang Lie sought him out.

※※※

Seeing the ball fly into the net, Travi stood with his hands on his head in the spot where he had just tried to intercept the ball—in the penalty arc outside the penalty area.

His heart was pounding wildly with self-blame and fear after conceding the goal.

He made a huge mistake!

Wang's goal stemmed from his own mistake...

He wished there was a crack in the ground he could disappear into.

Making mistakes during a match is normal for professional players, but just a minute ago, Travi thought he could play an important role and become a hero in this game...

A minute later, his mistake gifted Tyne a goal.

The stark contrast between his earlier and later statements was so swift that it left Travi feeling frustrated – the young man wasn't thick-skinned enough to ignore his mistakes that led to the team conceding a goal.

Seeing Travis standing there with his hands on his head, looking completely helpless, Tyler Murphy sighed.

The moment the kid charged forward, he sensed danger—it was based entirely on intuition from a veteran's experience, without any basis.

And that was indeed the case. Although he temporarily called on Megan to fill in at center-back as a last resort, it didn't work.

After all, not every defensive midfielder can play center-back...

No one can remain calm and magnanimous when faced with a goal conceded due to a teammate's mistake.

Murphy was also furious, especially since she had clearly reminded the kid, but he had completely ignored her warning...

However, when faced with his teammate who had made a mistake and bowed his head, Murphy did not criticize him loudly, but simply patted him on the shoulder and said, "Be careful next time."

I simply reminded him to be more careful next time, without saying anything else.

Travi himself was somewhat surprised, not expecting the captain to be so easy to talk to.

Then he remembered why everyone had voted for Tyler Murphy to be the captain.

An easy-going captain from a wealthy family...

Stephen Travey was not comforted by this; on the contrary, he became even more depressed.

Seeing that the kid didn't seem to be getting motivated, Murphy had to become even sterner: "Focus, Stephen! The game is still going on!"

These words calmed Travi down a little.

※※※

Meler Shapman remained standing motionless on the sidelines, even though he was soaked to the bone from head to toe.

It's like an empty shell without a soul.

To outsiders, his behavior seemed slightly unusual.

Because he maintained that posture for so long after conceding the goal, it was as if he hadn't recovered from the blow at all.

But logically speaking, he did concede goals during his time managing Sofia United, so this shouldn't be the case.

Perhaps conceding a goal just seventeen minutes into the game disrupted his plans?

But that doesn't make sense either.

First of all, conceding a goal within the first seventeen minutes is neither too early nor too late, and this period of time is quite common in football matches.

If conceding a goal at this moment can make Shapman lose his composure, then Shapman's mental fortitude is probably too weak.
Matt Perkins sat in his assigned spot in the stands, and from there, he could only see Shapman's back, and even then, only his upper body—because his lower body was blocked by the roof of the coaching bench.

He couldn't see Shapman's expression.

But even without seeing the front, Perkins could guess what Shapman looked like.

They must have been in a terrible state.

He stood there dumbfounded for almost a minute after conceding a goal... It was utterly shameful!

Perkins snorted.

His wife, hearing the noise, turned to look at him and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Perkins shook his head gently: "I'm fine."

After saying that, as if afraid his wife wouldn't believe him, he added, "Compared to being four goals down at this time last time, conceding a goal now is completely acceptable to me..."

His wife ignored what he said, but instead held his hand, silently feeling it for a while before letting go.

Then she said to her husband, "If you feel uncomfortable, we can leave early."

Perkins shook his head: "If I leave early, it'll be on the front page tomorrow, and then it'll put pressure on the club..."

His wife scoffed, "You still care about the club? Do they even care about you? Besides, is your health more important, or the club's reputation?"

Perkins could only reassure his wife, "Don't worry, I'm fine. We've already seen 9-0, how much worse can things get?"

After saying that, he turned his gaze to the Sofia coaching bench.

Good news, Shapman is finally no longer cosplaying as a sculpture in the same spot.

The bad news is, he doesn't know where Shapman went either...

Actually, Shapman didn't go anywhere; he was still in the same spot, but he crouched down, so he couldn't be seen from Perkins' angle.

Shapman squatted down because he finally realized what was happening and used the action of squatting down and pounding the ground to vent his resentment.

That goal was conceded at the worst possible time!

As Sofia United's offensive momentum gradually builds up, it's entirely possible to suppress Tyne if they continue playing like this.

But at this crucial moment, Sofia United conceded a goal!

This is not just a simple goal conceded; being behind in the score means that Sofia United is strategically on the defensive.

Trailing by one goal, Sofia United must attack, but attacking will reduce the number of defenders they can commit, making it too much pressure to defend against Tyne's attacking line...

In other words, when his team was behind against Tyne, he lacked confidence that he could withstand Tyne's fierce attacks and still score a goal to equalize.

After studying several of Tyne's representative matches, Shapman knew that once Tyne took the lead, they would launch wave after wave of attacks.

If they can't hold on, they'll concede goals in quick succession, which would be a fatal blow to the team's morale and confidence.

Isn't that how Ruhr Steel Union in Heldon went bankrupt?
After conceding one goal, and then another, their entire team collapsed...

※※※

Meler Shapman trembled with fear for his and the team's future, while Sofia United's general manager, Jonathan Hall, sat on the podium next to club owner John Barker, his face grim.

In contrast, his boss Barker looked much more normal—he just calmly watched the field, as if he were an outsider.

But Hall would never dare to think that way.

He absolutely dared not assume that the boss's calmness stemmed from the fact that the team was only one goal behind and the outcome was still uncertain.

Based on his understanding of his boss, the calmer the boss appeared, the angrier he was.

For example, during halftime of the Sofia United's away loss to Tyne, when the topic of whether then-manager Sven Heldon should be sacked came up, his boss asked him in a very calm tone, "Someone has to be responsible for such a crushing defeat. If it's not Heldon, then who is it, Hall?"
When Hall heard his boss say those words in a calm tone, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

He immediately knew he couldn't protect Heldon anymore...

Therefore, the calmer the boss is, the angrier he is inside.

Unless Shapman can actually lead the team to defeat Tyne in the end and save face for the boss.

Otherwise... you'll be kicked out!
Even a narrow defeat by one goal is an unacceptable result.

After being defeated 0-9 by Wang, this is no longer something that can be easily dismissed as a minor loss...

Someone has to take responsibility for the failure. If it's not the head coach, does it really have to be the general manager who takes responsibility, as Wang suggested?
What a joke!
How could someone as prominent as himself, the head of Soforth, be forced to resign by a single sentence from Wang?!

Having secured his escape route, Jonathan Hall was no longer as panicked as before.

No matter how much the boss blames him, the head coach will always bail him out.

Back in the United States, he worked for his boss's football club for many years. His boss was satisfied with his work, otherwise he wouldn't have let him come to Sofia United as general manager and hand over this Premier League powerhouse to him.

Therefore, regardless of the results, one's position should be secure.

He had completely figured out what his boss was thinking.

The key is that someone needs to be in charge.

If the head coach isn't responsible, if the general manager isn't responsible, should the owner be held responsible?

As a general manager, one's job as an employee under the boss is to solve problems for the boss and avoid embarrassing him. This is the greatest value and meaning of his work.

(End of this chapter)