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

Chapter 415 The three stripes mean Adidas, knowing they were going to lose but still having to play.
Top post on Dongqiudi: Predicted starting lineups for China vs. Brazil, Wu Lei vs. Neymar, Tang Ye vs. Casemiro and Coutinho.

Snapped!
A long pass found the vicinity of the baseline.

Wu Lei stopped the ball!

The stop was okay, then it was an internal incision.

boom!
With a flick of his right foot, Wu Lei's shot struck the six-yard box, bounced up, and went into the net.

"Wow!"

The Chinese national football players on the field applauded.

Marcelo will most likely start as the left-back in the match against Brazil.

Just like Lippi said a few days ago, Marcelo is a player with a very strong attacking tendency.

This is why the Chinese team is practicing counter-attacks on the right flank.

With Wu Lei's positioning and Tang Ye's long pass, Lippi believed that the Chinese team had a chance to break through Brazil's defense!
Snapped!
Tang Ye, Zhang Xizhe, and Wu Lei gave each other a high five to celebrate their success.

However, the expressions of the two Chinese national team coaches, Lippi and Madaloni, on the sidelines were not very relaxed.

"Still can't control the ball."

Madaloni frowned: "Some of Tom's passes are unexpected, and Lei doesn't have good ball control skills. We might miss a lot of good opportunities."

"We should have had Lei practice counter-attacks specifically back in January."

Madaloni is right. If Wu Lei had started training ball control and counter-attacks when he joined La Liga team Villarreal in the winter transfer window, he could have been useful against Marcelo now.

"But we didn't expect to make it to the knockout stage."

Lippi glanced at Madaloni.

The national football team will play against Brazil tomorrow, and there are still a lot of weaknesses in the team.

These vulnerabilities certainly cannot be patched up in a short time, so all we can do now is take it one step at a time.

Lippi looked at the training field in front of him. There were several puddles on the field after the heavy rain had just stopped.

"Ha ha!"

boom!
Tang Ye slammed his chest down into the puddle, using his belly to glide across the water.

"Damn, Tang Ye, you're a true genius!"

Wei Shihao quickly joined the game and imitated Tang Ye's movements, mimicking the penguin's glide.

Because of the standing water, it didn't hurt too much when my upper body hit the grass.

With the addition of his teammates, the nature of the game quickly changed. Tang Ye began to pursue higher and farther splashes, so he came to the sidelines of the court.

boom!
Water splashed up, and Tang Ye, covered in mud, sat on the ground. When he opened his eyes, he found that Lippi had been splashed with water.

"Wow... Mr. Marcello, I don't see you here."

"No, it's okay..."

Lippi shook his head, while Madaloni, standing beside him, grumbled as he took off his coat.

The good news is that the Chinese players managed to control their emotions quite well, even against the formidable Brazilian team, which is almost impossible to defeat.

The players got up from the grass. Tang Ye chatted with Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning, and soon Lippi came over and called him away.

"Oh, Mr. Marcello"

At the edge of the training field, Lippi looked Tang Ye up and down, who was covered in mud: "Do you want to take a shower and clean yourself up first?"

"That's alright, but sir, you can go change into a suit first. I'll wait for you here."

Tang Ye said that he was still quite embarrassed to have splashed Lippi all over with water.

In Tang Ye's understanding, Lippi and Madaloni, who were standing on the sidelines of the training field, did not join their game, so they should not be splashed with water.

Lippi smiled and shook his head, seemingly not planning to deal with his clothes.

"I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow's match, you know..."

At this point, Lippi paused for a moment, and Tang Ye raised his head in confusion, as if he had noticed something: "It's alright, sir, you can just say it."

"Yes, you know, Brazil is not a team we can handle. What I mean is, whatever happens, if you want to blame your teammates, I won't stop you, but don't say it in front of the reporters. I hope you can do that."

Based on his understanding of both teams and his own experience, Lippi can roughly guess what tomorrow's match will be like.

Tang Ye has a good temper, but the match against Germany also showed that even the kind-hearted Tom isn't completely incapable of losing his temper.

When the gap in strength between his teammates and opponents is too great, Tang Ye inevitably feels a sense of loss, even if his teammates are his very good friends.

"Oh, haha, you can rest assured about that."

I thought it was some tactical matter, but it turned out to be just a post-match interview.

Lippi underestimated Tang Ye.

Having studied under Ten Hach for two years, Tang Ye wasn't particularly strong in front of reporters, but he wasn't the type to easily lose control either.

He shrugged at Lippi: "Maybe we can score one or two goals too. I don't think the gap in strength is as big as you say."

Tang Ye previously led Villarreal, whose starting lineup was valued at less than 2 million euros, against the super club Barcelona, ​​so he has considerable experience in this kind of situation.

of course.

Leading China against Brazil is much more difficult than leading Villarreal against Barcelona.

……

The Moscow Business Daily's World Cup column: Tom vs. Neymar, a head-to-head clash between the two players most fouled in this World Cup. Who will fall more times in the China-Brazil match?

Tang Ye and Neymar are both players who are relatively easy for opponents to target, so Betway has opened a special betting line for the upcoming Round of 16 match.

The contest is about guessing who gets fouled more often.

Tang Ye was violated more times, and the compensation was 1.40 per person.

Neymar was fouled more times, so the odds are 4.15 to 1.

Although Neymar is known to be easily fouled, most fans still favor Tang Ye.

If it were a master like Tom, he would definitely be targeted by all the opponents on the field!
Time flew by and it was already the day of the competition. It was still morning in Russia, but it should have been noon in China.

Despite knowing that they were likely to lose, Chinese sponsors still chose to heavily promote the match, to the point that posters of the Chinese national football team are now plastered in shopping malls and subway stations across the country.

As Tang Ye's birthplace, Foshan also gained popularity during the World Cup.

The Spanish newspaper El Catalonia used a column to introduce Foshan, a place in Guangdong, to football fans around the world.

"Guangdong, as a provincial-level administrative unit, has a GDP that is close to the combined GDP of Spain and Catalonia."

"Tom seems somewhat different from the football stars that fans imagine who were born into poverty or even war. His comfortable environment protected and helped him grow, while also shaping his character. Tom believes the world is a beautiful place, but unfortunately, the Chinese team is about to face the formidable Brazilian team."

The newspaper reporter held the view that only a poor or even war-torn childhood can forge a player with a strong character, a character that Tang Ye lacked.

"Tom has the potential to become a football legend, but due to his background, he lacks the tenacity of a true champion. The good news is, however, because he enjoyed considerable advantages from birth, Tom has always maintained a high level of focus on football; commercial contracts and the nightclubs that are popular among professional players don't hold much appeal for him."

While Tang Ye was still at the base listening to Madaloni explain tactics, unbeknownst to him, the reporter had already analyzed the color of his underwear.

"Marcelo and Casemiro! We need to find a way to get Casemiro a yellow card, or even a red card."

"Don't be afraid of your opponents, just stay calm. We'll play according to their tactics. Neymar isn't as amazing as you think."

Tang Ye nodded slightly.

The night before last, he and Zhang Linpeng watched Neymar's game footage from the three group stage matches.

Tang Ye had a feeling that Junior wasn't as formidable as he had imagined.

……

At noon local time, the Chinese team players were resting at their training base, preparing for the upcoming World Cup knockout match that afternoon.

Before the match began, the Brazilian president and the deputy prime minister of Southeast Asia held a meeting that was broadcast live.

During the meeting, both officials indicated that they would attend the upcoming Round of 16 match.

This has left fans somewhat puzzled, as Brazil is not the host country of the World Cup, and logically, the president should not be present for a knockout match of the Round of 16.

It should be at least the semi-finals, right?

"Yes, haha, I personally enjoy watching football in my spare time."

The Brazilian president stated, "Yes, I watch mostly Brazilian domestic matches, and then the Chinese football league. I frequently watch the Chinese national team's games. For example... Tang Ye was the best player in the group stage, and I support the fans' opinion."

Brazilian fans were already a bit annoyed after the live video was uploaded to YouTube and Twitter.

The knockout match between China and Brazil is coming up soon, and the president is saying he's a supporter of the Chinese team at this time. Isn't that betrayal?
Impulsive fans have already started hurling insults online, but rational fans, after some effort, have managed to find the reason behind the incident.

Global Times -- Brazil hopes to join the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Brazilian president plans to visit China in July to discuss specific plans.

"..."

Brazilian fans fell silent.

It turns out it was because they were poor.

Okay, then there's nothing we can do.

……

"Tom, you'll soon be facing Brazil in the knockout stage. You had a friendly match with Brazil before the group stage started, but did you expect to meet them in your very first knockout game?" The press room was packed with people, and Tang Ye and Lippi endured the blinding flashes of the cameras.

"Of course not. We arranged a friendly match with Brazil simply because both sides felt it was necessary. Brazil is very strong, and playing a friendly against them can help us get into the mindset for World Cup matches."

Tang Ye began to speak slowly.

Do you think you'll lose?

The locker room was quite noisy at first, but when the reporter asked the second question, the whole room became quiet.

Reporters at the scene noticed that Lippi raised an eyebrow.

I think, haha.

Because he had guessed that the reporter would ask this question, Tang Ye couldn't help but laugh when the reporter actually asked it.

"I think, well, maybe. Actually, when we found out we were going to play Brazil, we didn't feel too much pressure because we knew... yes, to be honest, even without Brazil, the other teams in the round of 16 are not teams we can handle right now."

"Then...can you predict today's score?"

"That won't work. I generally don't predict scores; many people know that."

Tang Ye stroked his chin and said slowly, "However, I have a feeling we'll score today. It might be me, or it might be someone else on the team. We're prepared to score."

The goal preparation that Tang Ye mentioned was, of course, Lippi's plan for a counter-attacking attack down the right flank.

He's planning to team up with his friend Lei!
Click, click, click!

He answered the reporters' questions slowly, and soon the reporters from Adidas were in place.

"If you score against Brazil, will you do your signature celebration, you know... the three stripes?"

The reporter held up three fingers and made a gliding motion in the air.

"Of course, I really like this move. If I actually score a goal, I feel I'll probably do it."

"Could you explain what this action means?"

"Oh, this gesture means adidas."

"..."

Tang Ye's words silenced all the reporters in the press conference room, followed by the clicking of camera shutters.

"a...adidas?"

"Yes, because I prefer wearing Adidas, and I've worn Adidas sneakers since I was little. I really like the three stripes logo; I think Adidas's three stripes are the best-looking among all sports shoe brands."

……

Popular discussion on Dongqiudi: What do you think? Tang Ye stated in a pre-match interview that the three stripes celebration signifies Adidas. (43241 comments)

How much the hell did they give?

【Ha ha ha ha】

[I, Nike, disagree! Isn't the Swoosh design good-looking?!]

Tang Ye: I'm sorry, that's way too much.

[That's another tens of millions of euros. After making a fortune for the guys, Tang Qiuwang is starting to make money himself, right?]

Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform) pinned post: China's starting lineup for the Round of 16 match against Brazil announced; Tang Ye to face Neymar head-to-head. (22317 comments)

The starting lineup has been announced, and in the Chinese national team's locker room, the players looked somewhat distressed.

Tang Ye and Wu Lei are the two who are suffering the most.

Lippi's prediction was wrong.

Marcelo is a substitute today!

"hiss!"

Scratching his head, Wu Lei seemed a bit lost and unsure of what to do.

"Just play normally, follow the tactics!"

Madaloni and the players shouted their instructions.

"Damn, do they know what we're up to?"

Tang Ye casually remarked something, but Madaloni quickly stopped him from continuing and offered his own perspective.

Marcelo's substitution was purely coincidental; Brazil had absolutely no idea what China was planning.

All the Chinese team needs to do is play the game according to the planned tactics.

"Winning or losing doesn't matter, but sometimes even if we know we're going to lose, we still have to try our best. That's just how competitions are."

Madaloni shrugged, speaking with an expression of utter certainty.

"Chinese football is terrible, Chinese football is terrible, how many times have you heard this? Okay, forget about you guys, I could say it in Chinese myself. Making it to the knockout stage wasn't easy, you've already proven the fans wrong. So what's next? Everyone thinks you'll be unilaterally crushed by Brazil, so what do we do? Just do our best!"

"It's a simple matter. Don't give up before the match even starts just because the skill gap is too big."

"..."

Tang Ye fell silent.

He felt that what Mr. Madaloni said made a lot of sense.

What he understood was that since they were going to lose anyway, they might as well show off as soon as possible!
"3, 2, 1!"

Go China!

……

"China Media Group, China Media Group, good evening, viewers. This is a live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup knockout stage..."

The three CCTV commentators were ready, and the camera instantly switched to the players' tunnel, where Wu Lei was holding the ball boy's hand.

The next person after Wu Lei is Tang Ye. Tang Ye's ball boy stands there blankly, clearly feeling neglected.

Meanwhile, Tang Ye was talking with Neymar and Casemiro, while the two Brazilian players' ball boys were being ignored.

To be honest, I never thought I'd be playing against you.

Neymar and Tang Ye embraced.

He thought he would never meet his teammates again in a match after leaving La Liga, but unexpectedly, Brazil and China met in the knockout stage of the World Cup in Russia the following year.

"me too"

Tang Ye patted Neymar's hand, and the two discussed their injuries.

As the two official match balls for this World Cup, Tang Ye and Neymar both have recently developed scars all over their bodies.

Neymar glanced at the Chinese national team players: "I have a feeling I'm going to get kicked today too."

"Ha ha"

Tang Ye glanced at Casemiro: "Don't step on my ankle when you foul me, okay? Everything else is fine."

Casemiro shrugged: "It's hard to say, it depends on the specific circumstances."

"Ha ha"

"Ready, ready!"

The organizer's voice rang out, and the caddies in front got ready, pulling the Chinese and Brazilian flags as they rushed out.

"Come on"

"Okay, good luck."

After offering a word of encouragement, Neymar and Casemiro were no longer his friends for the next two hours.

As the World Cup theme song played, the Chinese national football team players walked onto the field under the watchful eyes of countless cameras. This was the venue for a World Cup knockout stage match.

This scene was like a dream for the Chinese national football players.

The whole country is watching their performance!
Unfortunately, just minutes later, they faced a match that was almost impossible to win.

In the shot, Tang Ye's mouth moves slightly up and down.

Viewers in the live stream can see the pores on Tang Ye's face, but they can't discern his current emotions.

"Beep!"

“The game begins!”

"Now let's introduce the starting lineups for both teams, starting with today's home team, the Brazilian national team!"

Brazil (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Alisson
Defenders: Fagner, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Filipe
Midfielders: Paulinho, Casemiro, Coutinho

Forwards: Willian, Jesus, Neymar
Head Coach: Tite
The camera panned to Tang Zhengxiong in the stands shortly after the start of the match.

GG Zhengxiong wasn't as arrogant as usual today.

Well, it seems that he also knows that Brazil is a very difficult country for China to deal with.

……

(End of this chapter)