Football: I am only 16 years old, and you want me to retire and make a comeback?

Chapter 392: China's first and final victory in the June warm-up matches shows they've found their form.

Dongqiudi pinned post: The warm-up match between China and the United States is underway, with China currently leading 1-0.

Wu Lei receives the ball in the penalty area!

boom!
A shot was taken, but the goalkeeper made the save!

"Grass!"

Wu Lei held the back of his head with both hands, his expression not very good.

There shouldn't have been any major problems with how the ball was handled; it was just that the final shot wasn't executed well!
"Guys, I think the national football team played really well today..."

"The US team is too bad? No, no, it's not that the US team is bad, it's just that the Chinese national football team is strong, okay?"

Wang Chao followed the live broadcasts from the beginning, so he knows the strength of the Chinese national football team better than anyone.

The Chinese national football team was definitely not this strong when they first started playing warm-up matches at the end of May!

"No, brothers, listen to me first. The Chinese national football team has definitely gotten stronger. Their attack wasn't this fluid before. If they keep this up, I feel like they can really get a draw in the World Cup."

"I'm not kidding, I'm really not kidding. Haven't you noticed? The passing speed has increased, and Tang Ye and Wu Lei's teamwork has improved too."

Wang Chao squinted and began his analysis: "Just watching Tang Qiuwang and Wu Qiuwang's cooperation, I feel like I'm watching La Liga. Now you know how exaggerated it is, right?"

"Zhang Yuning is alright, but his awareness is a bit lacking; he doesn't know how to keep up with Tang Ye's pace."

The match has reached the 30th minute of the first half.

The possession percentages for both sides are...

China has 56%, putting them in the lead!
With the ball possession rate leading, Tang Ye was arguably the most comfortable player, as one out of every five passes made by the Chinese national team originated from him.

He plays very steadily, and Tang Ye can coordinate with every player in the front and back lines!

"I'll come, I'll come!"

Upon hearing Tang Ye's voice, Zhang Xizhe stopped in his tracks and let Tang Ye run past him.

Dribble and cut inside!

There are three US team defenders in the penalty area!
Tang Ye slowed down!
Controlling the pace, Tang Ye slowly moved towards the penalty area.

The defender tried to block Tang Ye, but Tang Ye handled it well, stepping on the ball and pulling back to avoid it.

He paused for a moment, then slowed his pace and moved towards the penalty area!

The defenders tried to intercept, but Tang Ye had already entered the penalty area.

Tang Ye now only has one center-back and one goalkeeper in front of him!
"Wu Lei!"

Tang Ye shouted, and Wu Lei quickly moved forward.

At this point, the US team's defenders' attention had been drawn to Wu Lei, and Tang Ye made his choice.

They pretended to pass the ball to the right, but actually shot it directly towards the bottom left corner of the goal.

It's a classic long-range shot, but Tang Ye made a small modification.

The ball went in!
Tang Ye scores, making the score 2-0!

"call……"

With his hands on his waist, Tang Ye blew on his chest.

Wu Lei ran over and high-fived Tang Ye: "Wow, that's awesome! I was totally fooled!"

"Ha ha"

Tang Ye patted Wu Lei on the shoulder and said, "Brother Lei, don't just shoot at the top corner. The opposing goalkeeper gets off the ground quickly, but he's slow to jump. He won't have time to shoot at the top corner."

"Wow"

Wu Lei nodded slightly, remembering what Tang Ye had said.

"Are you sure?"

Wu Lei checked it again.

Analyzing the opposing goalkeeper's characteristics during the match was a rather exaggerated move by Tang Ye.

Looking back at the opposing goalkeeper, Tang Ye replied, "It should be; I don't think there's any problem."

The US team's goalkeeper is not very famous, so Tang Ye has never encountered him in FIFA.

However, warm-up matches are not worth Tang Ye playing several FIFA games beforehand, so his understanding of the American goalkeeper is limited to the past 30 minutes of the game.

but!

Tang Ye knows himself very well, and he feels that his judgment on the field is never wrong!
Wu Lei wanted to shoot for the top corner, and then...

"The full-backs should move forward a bit more. They have five defenders, and we have more players, otherwise we won't be able to pass the ball in!"

Commander Tom was diligently doing his job!

37th minute!

The corner kick was taken, and Tang Ye arrived at the first point.

Easily unload the ball at your feet!

As the defender closed in, Tang Ye quickly dodged and then passed the ball to Deng Hanwen, who was on the perimeter to receive it.

Snapped!
Deng Hanwen delivered a 45-degree cross into the penalty area!

Zhang Yuning!
"here!"

Tang Ye shouted, and Zhang Yuning headed the ball to Tang Ye.

The gift wasn't very good, but it's not a big problem.

hiss!
Tang Ye controlled the ball with his thigh, then passed it from his right foot to his left, successfully protecting it under pressure.

The entire operation was so smooth and fluid that it's hard to imagine it was done in a heavily defended penalty area.

"Come!"

Tang Ye made a through pass to Feng Xiaoting!
boom!
Break down the door!

The ball went in!
"Holy crap! 3-0!"

"Awesome! Feng Xiaoting!"

The score suddenly reached 3-0, and the atmosphere in the stadium became lively.

It was a warm-up match, but the Chinese team scored 3 goals against the United States in the first half alone.

The tension is rising!

"Ok, Ok!"

Tang Ye and Feng Xiaoting high-fived, expressing their admiration for their captain.

That's what it feels like!

After successfully teaming up with Wu Lei, GGBond has now found a connection with the national team captain.

With every little bit of progress, success is just around the corner!

"Hey, focus, focus!"

The US team coach was getting impatient and yelled at the players on the court.

He knew very well that the US wasn't throwing the game, so he was the most nervous when they were down by three goals!
"Wingers back, wingers back, stretch the midfield defense!"

The US team made temporary adjustments, while the Chinese national team continued with their tactics.

Snapped!
Zhang Yuning lost possession in the attacking third, and the US team quickly launched a counter-attack.

Like the Chinese national football team, the United States plays a very open and expansive style of football.

Pass it to the frontcourt.

The striker has the ball!

The stop was a bit awkward, but because there were no Chinese defenders nearby, the US attack continued.

boom!
The ball went in!
A stunning long-range strike from the American winger makes the score 3-1!

"..."

Chewing gum, Tang Ye pondered the reason why they had been attacked and counterattacked earlier.

"Beep, beep beep!!!"

Dongqiudi Halftime Report: In the warm-up match, the Chinese national football team is temporarily leading the United States 3-1. Tang Ye has played a stable role with 2 assists and 1 goal.

Creating three goals in the first half against the United States is a pretty good performance.

Unfortunately, the number 10 player on the Chinese national football team is GGBond, a young hero known as the "World's Best Chinese Player".

For the young hero, the three goals he scored against the United States were just average performances!

"Damn, that was awesome!"

Back in the locker room, the first thing Tang Ye did was drink a lot of water.

The temperature was only a little over 20 degrees Celsius today, but Tang Ye sweated a lot, which made him very thirsty.

"Aren't you afraid of needing to go to the toilet later if you drink so much now?"

Zhang Yuning was somewhat surprised.

"It's okay, I should be off after 60 minutes. It's not the main game yet, and my brother Hao hasn't even played."

Tang Ye said indifferently.

"Didn't he say you might have to finish this match?"

Wu Lei pointed in the direction of Lippi and whispered a reminder.

"..."

"That seems to be the case."

Tang Ye put the cap back on the mineral water bottle he had just brought to his lips, then casually tossed it on the ground.

"Guys, we played very well in the first half today. Although the opponent wasn't strong, I must admit that your performance was outstanding."

Madaloni looked very happy.

After watching the first 45 minutes of the game, he suddenly had a feeling that the team could actually get a draw in the World Cup.

They've built up their confidence, and their teamwork has improved!
Madaloni said a few words of encouragement to the players, and then gave his position to Lippi.

The Chinese national football team's head coach, wearing glasses, stood in front of the whiteboard! "We assembled in May."

Lippi wrote the Arabic numeral 5 with a pen, and then wrote 60 after the 5.

"Back in May, I would give you an overall score of 60. That's not a high score because your teamwork was like that of strangers. A group of strangers can't play in the World Cup, even if each of you is very talented."

"And then now..."

Lippi glanced at the players in front of him, then turned and wrote the Arabic numeral 6 on the whiteboard.

The number 6 is followed by 75, which is the current score of the Chinese national football team.

"Why 75? Because your teamwork has improved a lot, and you've gained confidence. These 15 points are for your teamwork and tactics."

"My original goal was to get you to 70 points before the World Cup, but your teamwork has progressed faster than I expected, which is unexpected. So now we need to change our plans."

Halftime ticked away, but Lippi remained unhurried, calmly writing an 80.

"We need to see if we can get 80 points. If we can, then I don't think a draw in a World Cup match should be a big problem."

Because Lippi uses data to speak for himself, just like playing a FIFA game, Tang Ye's attention was immediately drawn to him.

"Mr. Marcello"

"I don't like people talking when I'm speaking... Oh Tom! That's commendable behavior, do you have anything to say?"

Lippi is looking forward to a reply from assistant coach Tom.

"Mr. Marcello, you said we're at 75 points now, and our goal is 80 points. So how can we get to 80 points?"

Tang Ye voiced the doubts that the national football players were having, and Lippi did not rush to give an answer, but instead thought about it carefully for a while.

"I don't think we'll be able to get to 80 before the World Cup starts."

"How do we reach 80? That's a good question. Considering our actual situation, we can only achieve an 80-point overall performance when all 11 players on the court are at their best."

Lippi held the pen in mid-air, waving it around without writing anything for a long time.

"It's not just Tom, and it's not just Lei; all of you need to perform at your best, and that requires the stimulation of a match."

"You need to feel pressure, and the World Cup finals can put that pressure on you."

"hiss……"

The locker room was eerily quiet.

The Chinese national football players now understand what Lippi meant.

There is not enough time left for the Chinese national football team to improve its overall strength from 75 to 80 points.

However, if they are in good form, the Chinese national football team can temporarily put on an 80-level performance in the World Cup finals.

This requires each player to maintain sufficient focus.

At the same time, it is also necessary to...

Well, a tiny bit of luck!

Tang Ye tilted his head, carefully analyzing what Lippi had just said.

If he knew what Lippi was saying, he would be very happy.

Because he knows he has good luck and he will bring good fortune to the national football team.

but……

Well, it will take Tang Ye some time to figure out what Mr. Marcello meant.

As the second half was about to begin, U.S. goalkeeper Steffen asked Tang Ye for his jersey.

"My change of clothes... oh, right."

Remembering that the warm-up matches were about to end and he wouldn't need the jersey for long, he thought, "Okay, buddy, after the matches..."

"come on! Come on!"

The second half has begun!
The Chinese national football team changed its formation from 4231 to 4312.

Despite having a two-goal lead, Tang Ye's position was pushed further forward.

Chinese fans watching the broadcast are now very surprised.

Lippi!

What are you trying to do?!
"Hmm, the US team's offense is really fierce in the second half."

"Let's take a look at this number 17. Judging from his position, he should be a winger, how so!"

The US team winger quickly dribbled past his opponent and then took possession of the ball near the top of the penalty arc.

Despite being down by two goals, the US team remained calm.

A series of passes successfully penetrated the Chinese national team's defense!
Break down the door!

The ball went in!
The score is now 3-2!

Is the Chinese national football team starting to throw the game?

What is Lippi thinking? Why switch to a 4-3-1-2 formation? It seems unstable.

Although it's a warm-up game, to be honest, I really don't want the US to win...

A score of 3-1 is very comfortable, but a score of 3-2 is not so good.

With only a one-goal lead, the United States has a chance to equalize the score at any time!
Of course, this is just a manifestation.

What fans watching the game don't know is that Tang Ye could easily find opportunities if he wanted to score.

Unlike when he was at the club, he now prefers assists to goals.

Because he needs to help his teammates get into form!
Only by playing well together can the Chinese national football team go far in the World Cup!
Keep looking for Wu Lei!
He pushed a long through ball to Wu Lei.

Knowing that Wu Lei is not good at controlling the ball, Tang Ye added a little spin to the ball, so that he could stop it easily with just a touch of his foot.

Wu Lei succeeded!
Bottom!

Let's make some adjustments!
Snapped!
Cross the ball to Zhang Yuning in the penalty area!

Header!

Zhang Yuning's header lacked power, but the angle was tricky enough.

The ball went in!
The score is now 4-2!

"Brilliant!"

Wang Chao slammed his hand on the table and stood up, causing the earpiece hanging on his head to fall off.

He quickly picked it up and said, "We're invincible, brothers! In this form, we can easily force a draw against Sweden!"

"Ibrahimovic? Ibrahimovic won't do. Ibrahimovic's role as a center forward is too limited. He can't play like Tang Ye, who can carry the team."

With the score at 4-2, the Chinese national football team players gathered together to high-five each other in celebration.

It's now the 57th minute of the second half. Tang Ye glanced towards the substitutes' bench, and Madaloni gave him a thumbs-up.

It seems he won't be leaving the game early.

The Chinese team quickly made their substitutions, with Wei Shihao, Gao Lin, and Gao Zhunyi coming on one after another!
Tang Ye remained on the field as the sole attacking midfielder.

Lippi's substitution was very cunning; he wanted the national team's substitute striker to also get some time to gel with Tang Ye.

During the World Cup finals, the starting striker will play 70 minutes, and the substitute striker will play the remaining 20 minutes or so.

Conserve the energy of the forwards and have them all coordinate with Tang Ye.

With such a high-intensity attacking line, the Chinese national team has a chance even against the strongest teams!

"..."

Dongqiudi Match Report: In a warm-up match, the Chinese national football team defeated the United States 5-3. Tang Ye provided a hat-trick of assists, while Wu Lei, Zhang Yuning, and Wei Shihao all scored.

"Win easily, win easily"

After changing his jersey, Tang Ye, shirtless, rubbed his hands together and walked towards the locker room with his teammates.

Suddenly, Tang Ye stopped at the side of the passage, leaning against the wall with one hand.

"yue!"

"Hey! What's wrong!"

Zhang Yuning and Feng Xiaoting quickly ran up and placed their hands on Tang Ye's back.

"Damn, I feel like throwing up..."

Tang Ye gagged, but ultimately didn't vomit.

He was substituted in the 82nd minute of today's match.

Although he didn't play the entire match, Tang Ye was already starting to feel the strain from running around so much.

Lippi stood at the far end, watching Tang Ye who almost vomited, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Cough cough, it's nothing, it's nothing, let's go, let's go."

Back in the locker room with his teammates, Tang Ye gulped down bottled water and quickly adjusted his state.

As the saying goes, if you want to gain something, you must give something in return; this is the law of exchange.

As the only world-class star in the Chinese national football team, Tang Ye has a presence in the Asian market.

What he gave back was his hard work in training and competition.

The national team's training is very relaxed, so relaxed that Tang Ye only needs to casually go through the motions to complete the training.

But having taken so much, according to the law of exchange, Tang Ye would definitely have to pay a heavy price.

If you don't put in the effort during training, you can only make up for it in the competition.

In national team matches, due to his special tactical role, he always has to work very hard in every game.

"correct"

Tang Ye suddenly thought of something and picked up the mineral water bottle.

"Brothers, tell me a ghost story."

"The next match is the World Cup finals..."

……

(End of this chapter)