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

Chapter 404: In the match where Tang Ye started, the Chinese team had two match balls.

Baidu trending search.

NO.1: China vs. Senegal.

NO.2: The men's national football team's second match in the World Cup.

boom!
After making the interception, Senegal quickly dribbled the ball forward.

Guy's diagonal pass found Mane!

"Oh!!"

"Senegal is advancing very quickly; the Chinese team needs to be careful."

As soon as the commentator finished speaking, Mane created space and delivered a low, through ball directly into the penalty area.

Niang gets the ball!

Swing your leg!

He raised his right foot and made a feint, which fooled Feng Xiaoting and put goalkeeper Zeng Cheng in a bad position.

Hit again!

It was a simple push shot, but Niang had excellent control of the angle.

With over 6 people watching, the ball grazed the post and went into the net.

"The ball is in!"

"My goodness! After a sustained attack, Senegal finally broke through China's defense!"

Zhan Jun's tone clearly betrayed his displeasure.

"Senegal's attack achieved the desired effect, which is not good news for the Chinese team!"

There was no suspicion of offside, and Niang quickly rushed off the field after taking the shot.

"Roar!!!!"

Dongqiudi Live Match Report: Mane's exquisite through ball, Niang's shot finds the net, China trails by one goal!
[Those black guys are really something else!]

[Hmm, it seems like we don't really have a way to deal with fast teams like this?]

Although it's normal, it still breaks my heart, my family.

[How should we describe Lippi? He needs to reorganize the five-defender formation.]

Don't play with a 5-defender formation. You'll still concede goals with a 5-defender formation, and Tang Ye won't have possession of the ball with a 5-defender formation.

"Beep beep beep!!!"

"xuuu——!!!!"

The fans in the stadium made mocking noises at the Senegalese player who scored the goal.

Tang Ye, panting, walked step by step in front of the camera.

Behind them is a billboard that reads "China Mengniu, born with strength, naturally powerful".

Whenever the Chinese team makes a mistake or concedes a goal, the director always focuses the camera on him; Tang Ye has gotten used to being filmed like that.

Being shot is fine; the real issue is what they need to do to turn the score around in the remaining time.

"Steady up, steady up, get the ball in the backcourt first!"

Lippi, accompanied by a translator, gave instructions.

Having experienced a major war, the Italians remained relatively calm.

Senegal's goal has disrupted the Chinese team's momentum. At this point, they must not act rashly, otherwise the team may pay a heavy price.

Pooh!
Spitting on the grass, Tang Ye found Wu Lei and Zheng Zhi: "You guys come over here more often to receive the passes. Their pressing pace is too fast; we need to pass them around."

Wu Lei and Zheng Zhi don't look too good right now, clearly they know how difficult this match will be.

The game has entered its 30th minute!

"Come!"

Zhang Linpeng gestured for his teammate to pass the ball, and then lobbed it to Tang Ye.

"Wow!"

I didn't expect Zhang Linpeng to spread this, but it doesn't matter anyway.

With his back to Gay, Tang Ye prepared to stop the ball with his chest.

But after observing the situation in the attacking third and doing a quick calculation, he realized it was a very good shooting opportunity.

Got it!

"Let's go!"

Signaling to his teammates to move forward, Tang Ye led Gay toward the ball.

Guy kept tugging at Tang Ye's shoulder to stop him from going over, at which point Tang Ye simply stuck his foot out.

Snapped!
Pass the ball directly behind you without stopping it!
"What is this!"

"Hey, Tang Ye's back pass!"

"Give it to Yu Hanchao in front!"

Remembering the positions of the attacking players and then making a long pass with his back to goal – fans almost forgot that this was one of Tang Ye's signature skills.

Yu Hanchao stopped the ball!
It stopped pretty well!
Wang Shenchao made a sudden stop with the ball and went down the left flank!

boom!
A through ball is being pushed in!

Wang Shenchao got the ball!

Tang Ye gradually moved to the frontcourt as his teammates passed and received the ball.

The area near the top of the arc is a very comfortable position for him.

Tang Ye really wanted to get the ball, but the Senegalese players were marking him closely, which prevented him from finding an opportunity to receive the pass for a long time.

If this were a club team, Tang Ye could easily break through the defense by coordinating with his teammates' movements, but this is the national team.

National team teammates cannot achieve the same level of understanding and chemistry as club teammates.

Tang Ye is trapped!

Depend on!
Feeling that this wouldn't work, Tang Ye rushed between Guy and Sal, forcibly finding an empty spot.

There was a brief opportunity to receive the ball, about half a second!
Wang Shenchao knew that Tang Ye could receive the ball, but the chance was too slim, so he didn't dare to pass it out.

Soon, as the Senegalese players retreated to defend, Tang Ye lost the opportunity to regain possession of the ball.

"..."

The Chinese attacking players lingered near Senegal's baseline, passing the ball back to their own half, and then gradually shifting possession to the right flank through passes from the backfield.

They played relatively steadily, but just couldn't find any suitable opportunities.

Senegal double-teamed Zheng Zhi in the attacking third, but Mane eventually made the tackle.

Chinese fans suddenly tensed up.

Senegal has a very distinctive characteristic: their counter-attacks are extremely fast.

If the Chinese team doesn't execute their attack well, they will have to bear the consequences of being countered by Senegal.

Just 30 minutes in, the Chinese team gradually increased their possession to 35% by passing the ball in the backfield, but after Senegal launched several counter-attacks, the Chinese team's possession dropped back down.

"I think the Chinese team needs to figure out how to break through Senegal's targeted defense against Tang Ye."

"Yes, that's right. Tang Ye is the playmaker in the Chinese team's attacking third. If the Chinese team needs to launch a good attack, then Tang Ye must be the one to distribute the ball."

The commentators started chatting.

Lippi and Madaloni are under considerable pressure right now.

They certainly knew they had to find a way to get Tang Ye back in possession of the ball, but the problem was that Senegal's defensive players were too adept at marking him closely.

The Chinese team is in a difficult position!

"..."

Madaloni glanced in the direction of Lippi.

Madaloni was very familiar with Lippi's expression; he knew that Lippi had come up with a better solution.

But it seems that Lippi also has a very uncertain attitude towards this idea...

"Come on, come on!"

Tang Ye received the ball sideways, lifted his right foot, and spun the ball to the left.

Cruyff turns around!

First, gain space, then change the pace and head directly into the penalty area.

This was a rare opportunity, so Tang Ye handled it with great care.

Sané tried to extend his leg, but Tang Ye saw through his intention.

Step directly in front of the ball with your left foot and use your body to protect it.

Tang Ye is already inside the penalty area, so Sane certainly doesn't dare to extend his foot.

That's about it!

Tang Ye leaned to the far corner, ready to move.

Hit the near corner!
The goalkeeper didn't react in time!

but!

Tang Ye's close-range shot grazed the post and rolled out of bounds.

"Oh!"

The goalkeeper breathed a sigh of relief, while Tang Ye, who had lost his balance, sat helplessly on the ground.

Just a little bit closer!
It was so close!

"it's okay no problem!"

Zhang Yuning pulled Tang Ye up from the ground: "It's okay, it's okay..." Sigh.

Tang Ye high-fived his teammates and began his defensive retreat.

With nearly 40 minutes remaining, the first half was drawing to a close, and both sides' offensive momentum gradually subsided.

The Chinese team is prepared to go into halftime with a one-goal deficit.

Snapped!
A long pass was delivered to the attacking third, where Mane controlled the ball and dribbled forward in one fluid motion.

The speed was very fast, and Zhang Linpeng quickly retreated to keep watch.

The situation is a bit off, so I have no choice but to commit a tactical foul.

Beep!
Zhang Linpeng was shown a yellow card, and Senegal was awarded a free kick in the attacking third.

"The Chinese team's set-piece defense still has some obvious weaknesses..."

"Senegal……"

Snapped!
The set piece was lobbed into the penalty area.

Center back!
boom!
A header slammed into the grass, the ball bounced up, and went into the net.

"GOOO-AAAA-LLLLL!!!"

The ball went in!
Who scored?!
The cameras focused on Koulibaly, who was clearly the one who created the header.

In the first second of the 41st minute, Senegal extended their lead to two goals.

"Beep beep beep!"

"Beep beep beep!"

A fake whistle rang in his ears. Tang Ye put his hands on his waist and then lowered his head.

It was very hot at the scene, and the sun was very strong. The sweat dripping down almost completely blocked Tang Ye's vision.

With no other option, I pulled up my already soaked jersey and used it to wipe the sweat around my eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay! You can kick it!"

Feng Xiaoting is encouraging his teammates.

He wasn't sure if what he said was right, but the most important thing now was to get the team back on track.

43th minute!

Tang Ye gets the ball in the middle!
boom!
Sal came up from behind and kneed Tang Ye in the back of the thigh.

Tang Ye was knocked down instantly!
"hiss!!"

A sharp pain shot through Tang Ye's brain, and he rolled around on the grass.

Sarr was shown a yellow card, and the players from both sides quickly got into an argument.

However, both captains, Feng Xiaoting and Mane, remained relatively calm and prevented the conflict from escalating further.

"Is it alright?"

Zhang Yuning knelt on the ground, wanting to check on Tang Ye's condition.

"My grass!"

Tang Ye lay on the ground and sighed.

The Chinese team's doctor has entered the field!
"Judging from the current situation, the Chinese team probably won't have much of a chance in the first half. The first half will be over soon after the treatment is finished."

"We just hope Tang Ye's injuries aren't too serious."

In the footage, the Chinese team doctor is seen spraying a bottle onto Tang Ye's thigh, seemingly to relieve the pain.

"come on!"

"Go Tang Ball King!"

Dongqiudi Live Match Report: Tang Ye is fouled from behind and falls to the ground; the Chinese team doctor enters the field. (22723 comments)

So it really is a match ball?

[There's only one star player like this, so everyone's talking about Tang Ye.]

Can you still hold on?

After Tang Ye was fouled and fell to the ground, the odds for the Chinese team to win on the betting website rose rapidly along a diagonal line, indicating that many fans had increased their bets on Senegal at this time.

Good news! After being helped off the field by the team doctor, Tang Ye tied his shoelaces and then returned to the court.

His steps were a little unsteady, but it was clear that he could continue the game.

clap clap clap!
Clap clap clap!

Go China!

"..."

……

Dongqiudi Halftime Report: In the second round of Group F, China trails Senegal 0-2; Tang Ye's long-range shot just missed the near post. (41238 comments)

On his way back to the players' tunnel, Tang Ye didn't greet the fans in the stands as usual, but instead stared intently at the Senegalese players on the other side.

Two consecutive matches taught him a lesson: none of his matches in this World Cup will be easy.

Just as I had feared.

In every match in which Tang Ye started, the Chinese team had two match balls.

Tang Ye was about to return to the stadium when shouts suddenly came from the stands. Tang Ye quickly looked behind him.

For some unknown reason, a large crowd had gathered on the field, including players from both sides and field staff.

Do you think your sentencing standards were appropriate?

Chinese team assistant coach Madaloni stopped the referee: "No, didn't you see, referee? Our players were fouled seven times in the first half alone, and they only received two yellow cards, the same as us. Why are they the same as us?"

Madaloni was about to shove the referee in the chest, but Zhang Yuning stopped him.

Wei Shih-hao stood on the side watching.

To be honest, Tang Ye was quite unhappy about being pushed around, but unfortunately, this wasn't a competition.

If you get a yellow card at this point, you won't have any room to maneuver when you officially start the game!

"No, no, no, forget it!"

Tang Ye tried to bring Madaloni back, but it was too late; the Chinese team's assistant coach received a yellow card from the referee.

"As you wish!"

Madaloni was extremely arrogant because he knew his yellow card wouldn't have much of an impact on the team.

He wanted to use this conflict to force the referee to reconsider his rulings.

"Let's go, let's go back!"

The two teams finally separated.

……

In the locker room at halftime, Tang Ye lay on a physiotherapy bed as the team doctor massaged and relaxed his thighs.

Tang Ye's expression was somewhat pained, which made Madaloni feel uncomfortable, as if he wanted to rush out and argue with the referee again.

"Calm down."

Lippi put his hand on Madaloni's shoulder.

"Let's talk about the match later. We were heavily restricted in the first half, so we didn't create any good opportunities."

Lippi slowly fiddled with the tactics board, glancing at Tang Ye lying on the bed out of the corner of his eye as he spoke.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but when we're attacking, we consistently have fewer players than the opposing defense, and not just one, sometimes it's two or even three fewer."

"I've thought about it carefully, and it's indeed a bit difficult for you to train your defenders to make forward runs and provide support in such a short time. So, in the second half, we will increase the number of attacking players."

!

When Lippi uttered his last crucial sentence, all the players in the locker room turned their attention to him.

This also included Tang Ye. GGBond, hands on the pillow, stared at Lippi with wide eyes: "What, what's going on?"

"I know you're a bit surprised, that's normal, because we're now behind, and not by one goal, but by two. We need to try something."

After speaking, Lippi moved the magnetic flag on the tactics board under the watchful eyes of the players.

Zhang Yuning was pulled down.

Is it 4312?
No, it's 4222.

Lippi opted to substitute center forward Zhang Yuning, replacing him with midfielder Hao Junmin.

The team will play with two defensive midfielders, just like in the first half. However, in the second half, the number of forwards will be reduced from three to two, while the number of attacking midfielders will be increased from one to two.

"..."

Tang Ye remained silent, his mind racing.

Lippi removed Zhang Yuning, who was playing as a pivot in front of the defense, in order to increase the number of players who could directly connect with Tang Ye.

"Without Zhang (Zhang Yuning), we might not be able to launch good high-ball attacks, but after thinking about it, I think the primary goal is to get Tom more possession, so we need another point of contact in the attacking third."

Tang Ye and Lippi looked at each other.

If the game is played according to Lippi's approach, then the second half will be a real test of Tang Ye's short passing combinations with his teammates in the attacking third.

"Could you get this for me?"

Tang Ye asked the team doctor to get him some bottled water, and he lay down on the bed and drank it directly.

"Please also massage my calves, yes, I feel like I'm about to cramp up."

……

PS: There will be one more update before 1 AM, I'm rushing to finish it.

I've been updating three times a day for the past few days as well; I'm trying my best to pay off my debts.

(End of this chapter)