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

Chapter 483 The Battle for First Place in Group C, Da Da Han Minguk (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
CCTV13新闻：北京时间1月11日晚21时，2019年亚足联亚洲杯小组赛C组，中国男足对阵菲律宾男足的比赛在阿布扎比……经过90分钟的鏖战后，中国男足最终以8：1的比分击败菲律宾男足，确定小组出线资格。

Evening News

[Chinese fans: This feels like a dream]

China Football News – China and South Korea both secured qualification with 6 points; who will take the top spot in Group C?
Appendix: Group C Standings for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup (as of Round 2):
1. China, 6 points.

2. South Korea, 6 points.

3. Kyrgyzstan, 0 points.

4. Philippines, 0 points.

With two players scoring 6 points, regardless of the outcome of the third round, both China and South Korea are guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage.

As for the group stage rankings...

Chinese fans naturally hoped that the Chinese team could defeat South Korea, but some netizens on Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform) quickly noticed something amiss.

If the Chinese team wins Group C, they will indeed face relatively weak opponents in the round of 16.

However, the problem is that if the Chinese team wins first place, they will most likely be drawn into the same group as Japan.

"Japan is a favorite to win this Asian Cup, but unlike Qatar, the Japanese team has a more relaxed style."

On CCTV5's special channel, Coach Zhang Lu provided his analysis for the fans.

High-density passing and control is what the Chinese team fears.

Why is the Chinese team afraid of passing and control?

This question is too simple; just look at Manchester United.

The Chinese team is, after all, a mini-Manchester United; whatever Manchester United fears, the Chinese team fears too.

"Zhang Lu, do you think it's better for China to be in the same half of the bracket as Qatar or Japan?"

"this problem……"

Zhang Lu was also stumped by the question: "If I had to say, I think China should still play against Japan. After all, Qatar's current team is stronger than Japan's."

Tang Ye was officially called up to the national team in March 2017. Since then, the national team has not played against either Japan or Qatar.

Without data for reference, tactical analysis can be quite difficult.

The knockout stage is very important, and the Chinese team held a meeting on this matter.

Players, coaches, and football association officials all participated.

"I think, no matter what, we have to win the next match, whether we're in the same half of the bracket as Japan or Qatar. We need to maintain our form with a winning streak."

Lippi's voice was not loud, but no one else made a sound when he spoke.

Well, except for Tang Ye, who was secretly shaking his leg downstairs.

Lippi is, after all, a World Cup-winning coach, and he has a wealth of experience.

For the current Chinese team, maintaining momentum and executing good tactics is far more important than facing a weak opponent.

To put it bluntly, the gap between Japan and Qatar isn't actually that big.

Rather than hoping to encounter the weaker of the two teams, it would be better to hope that the Chinese team can gradually find their best tactics in the next few matches.

After Lippi finished speaking, the football association officials remained silent and instead looked at Tang Ye, who was standing next to Wu Lei.

Tang Ye picked up his 1L carton of milk and took a swig.

"Damn, that's awesome! We have to take down South Korea. Their reporters are absolutely disgusting."

"Then do it!"

The football association leader slammed his fist on the table and said, "Our goal is to win three consecutive matches in the group stage. No matter which team we face later, we just need to give our best performance!"

"Done!"

"Wow!!"

With a goal difference of +10, the Chinese team players are in high spirits.

……

In the following days, Lippi intensified his training of Tang Ye in the shadow striker position.

The Italian coach hopes to use this tactic against Japan or Qatar, hoping it will have a surprising effect.

Tang Ye cooperated well, spending the last few days doing extra training to strengthen his thigh muscles, hoping to run even faster during the actual competition.

Speed: 78 → 78

hiss!
Although the numbers showed no change, with the speed still at 78, Tang Ye could definitely feel his own improvement.

There's a pulsating blood vessel on the front of my thigh.

It's like it's about to mutate!
Tang Ye (40 years old)
[Ball possession: 88; Passing: 91]

[Shots: 80; Headers: 60; Set pieces: 80]

Speed: 78; Endurance: 76; Physical Strength: 85

[Defense: 76; Vision: 97]

Overall rating: 86
"Tang Ye!"

Zheng Zhi pushed open the door to the gym and found Tang Ye there, so he greeted him.

Tang Ye sat on the bench press without reacting.

"Tang Ye!"

Zheng Zhi called out again, and this time Tang Ye finally turned his head: "Huh? Brother Zhi?"

Upon noticing the white towel around Zheng Zhi's neck, Tang Ye chuckled, "So you're here for extra training, Brother Zhi?"

"Holy crap, I never expected to see you here."

Zheng Zhi hung a towel on the treadmill and then started jogging to warm up.

"Online fans say you're lazy, but they don't seem to know anything about you."

Zheng Zhi gave a wry smile.

To be honest, he was also misled by the online sentiment, thinking that Tang Ye was a player who only slept and played video games.

This now appears to be absolutely wrong.

GGBond is actually a very self-disciplined guy; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get to where he is today!

"Haha, Zhi-ge, you're amazing too!"

Tang Ye stood next to Zheng Zhi, watching him gradually increase the speed on the treadmill: "If you train now, will you be able to recover? Aren't you almost 40?"

"Ha ha!"

Zheng Zhi shook his head and laughed.

If it were someone else, he might have taken that as sarcasm, but Tang Ye most likely wouldn't.

This guy probably doesn't even know the meaning behind his words.

"I can stay excited, which is why I'm still standing here at my age. Lippi even wants to give me the armband."

A clear hint of pride flashed across Zheng Zhi's face as he said this.

A national team captain nearing 40 years old—this is definitely something that will go down in the history of Chinese football.

But I saw you didn't take it.

Tang Ye said that Feng Xiaoting is the first captain of the Chinese team in this Asian Cup, and Zheng Zhi is the second captain.

"Because I know I'm getting old, the captain should start every game and play as much minutes as possible."

Zheng Zhi gave a wry smile.

"Okay, but you're really good too, Zhi-ge. Are you leaving late today? I can practice with you."

Tang Ye secretly remembered Zheng Zhi's words.

"By the way, Brother Zhi..."

Thinking of something, Tang Ye posed his question: "Most players retire around 35, right? Are you going to continue?"

"If I can still play for the national team, I will definitely continue playing."

Zheng Zhi clenched his right fist and tapped it on his chest.

"I joined the national team during the 02 World Cup, and since then we haven't won a single championship (not counting the East Asian Cup). The internet is full of criticism. But let me tell you, I'm sure we will win the championship."

Tang Ye's eyes widened: "When was that?"

"Sooner or later!"

Zheng Zhi answered with great composure, but then turned his head away.

Sooner or later.

Approximately how early?
We'll have to wait until he retires to see it...

"Um... Brother Zhi"

Tang Ye blinked, then punched Zheng Zhi's swinging arm lightly: "If we ever have a chance to win the championship, I'll definitely step up to help. You absolutely have to stay in retirement a little longer; I'll help you, I'm not lying."

Go Tang Ye!

Zheng Zhi sped up and punched Tang Ye, yelling, "Don't waste your talent, run!"

……

Seoul Radio.

Thump thump thump!

The female host today is quite pretty, but that's not the point. The point is today's radio news.

"Today we're going to discuss the upcoming 2019 AFC Asian Cup match between the South Korean and Chinese men's national football teams."

"South Korea lost to China in the World Cup qualifiers in Russia, but Son Heung-min did not play in that match."

The radio broadcast showed Son Heung-min's head in a photo of the player celebrating a goal after scoring in Tottenham's match against Liverpool.

A €5000 million super winger – this is the future of South Korean football and the faith of South Korean fans.

Then came South Korean social media, with radio screens displaying a few comments from South Korean fans.

"Fans commented that they believe Son Heung-min's addition will bring a qualitative change to the matches between South Korea and China."

"Although the Chinese team defeated the Philippines 8-1, the South Korean team will likely face a very difficult situation."

In the eyes of South Korean fans, the Republic of Korea will never be defeated by China.

"South Korea!"

The female host clenched her fist and raised one hand.

"Stay strong!!! (Keep going!)"

……

January 13th arrived quickly, the day of Manchester United's away match against Tottenham in the 22nd round of the Premier League.

Although it was said to be the 13th, the match actually took place around midnight. Even though they had to play South Korea later, Tang Ye still chose to stay up late to watch.

Send a text message to Rod and Marcus to cheer them on, then open a bag of original Lay's potato chips.

Keep it up, guys!

Dongqiudi Match Report: Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur away from home, maintaining their top spot in the Premier League. De Gea made 12 saves to keep a clean sheet, while Rashford scored in consecutive matches. (31732 comments)

Repost: At 3 a.m., Tang Ye reposted Manchester United's official victory poster with the Chinese caption: Awesome!
Manchester United are indeed in good form.

[Holy crap, they're about to play against South Korea, and GGBonds are still up and about!]

[The UAE is in a different time zone, and I've seen Tang Ye online in LOL often after midnight, but I've never seen him sleepwalk through a game.]

[Wait, is it really that hard to admit that De Gea is the world's number one?]

[I'm Guardiola, and I'm panicking.]

Tang Ye has been extremely happy these past two days. The national team won by 8 goals, and the club is even stronger, maintaining their unbeaten record.

"Yes, yes, you need to lift your feet when you're about to get down, otherwise it will be too late."

Master GG was very generous and was even willing to share his secret technique for sliding across the three stripes with his teammates.

However, this thing seems a bit too difficult to learn; after more than ten minutes, no one had learned it.

"Tang Ye, what's the duration of your contract with Adidas?"

Zhang Yuning suddenly thought of a question.

"Three years? What happened?"

"So you won't be able to skate on the four or five bars for the next three years?"

As a loyal fan of Tang Ye, Zhang Yuning knows Tang Ye's abilities.

Four stripes and five stripes are no problem at all!

"Well, it's okay. To be honest, four stripes aren't easy to get; three stripes are the best."

Tang Ye crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking every bit the master.

Zhang Yuning is Kung Fu Panda, a disciple of the master.

How much money did they give?

Faced with this question, Tang Ye squinted and remained silent.

"1000 million... euros?"

"Haha, a little higher!"

Well!
Zhang Yuning let out a breath.

Top-tier stars are still outrageous.

"Tang, if you become a coach in the future, will you teach your students this sliding knee technique?"

"Damn, I think that's a great question."

Tang Ye turned to Zhang Yuning: "If they want to learn, of course I'll teach them. But I don't think I'll be a coach. I'm not really interested in that; I'd rather just play myself."

As he spoke, Tang Ye juggled the ball a few times next to Zhang Yuning.

He's grown to love football more and more ever since he started playing professionally.

This is so much fun!

"Beep!!!"

As the whistle blew, the players who had finished training gathered in front of Madaloni, and the Chinese team's assistant coach gave them a detailed analysis of the South Korean team's match tactics.

Tang Ye, a good student, summarized several key points.

1. The South Korean team excels at having their central players push forward, creating multiple attacking options. The Chinese team also likes to do this, but South Korea executes it more thoroughly, with their defensive midfielders also pushing forward to the byline.

2. Be careful to limit Son Heung-min's speed in counter-attacks.

3. Be careful with set pieces.

The first two points are characteristic of the South Korean team, while the last point is already a frequent feature of Tangye Notebook.

Before each match, Madaloni would emphasize the defense of corner kicks and free kicks, as if the Chinese national football team's goal would explode as soon as the opponent got a set piece.

"I won't say anything else, just keep going, okay? Keep going!"

Madaloni held Tang Ye's head in his hands, as if he were holding a ball.

Tang Ye didn't know why Madaloni did this.

All he knew was that the temperature around him would rise rapidly every time the teaching assistant spoke.

Passion is burning!

……

The day of the competition!

The match between China and South Korea is one of the most anticipated matches of this Asian Cup, so there will naturally be a large number of fans around the stadium.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this should be the only match in Group C with an attendance rate exceeding 98%.

The organizer, the UAE, was very generous, hanging a giant poster for both South Korea and China outside the stadium.

The worst part is that both posters feel very thick to the touch, and when you get close, you can almost smell a strong scent of US dollars.

This is a match between China (€1.82 million), the most valuable team in this Asian Cup, and South Korea (€8435 million), the second most valuable team, in a match known as the Asian Derby.

Outside the stadium, Masao GG, the father of GG, was interviewed by a Xinhua News Agency reporter.

"South Korea will definitely win easily; they won once before in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Son Heung-min... to be honest, I don't think Son Heung-min will have a particularly significant impact on the overall strength of the South Korean team, after all, he's a winger, not a midfielder."

"It seems Mr. Tang is very optimistic about this match."

Tang Zhengxiong adjusted his sunglasses: "Of course, the Koreans are so-so, and the Japanese probably aren't much better. I've looked down on the Japanese and..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xinhua News Agency abruptly cut off the live broadcast.

One bite of stick, one bite of ghost, GG Masao, what are you up to now!

……

"China Media Group! This is a live broadcast for you..."

"The referee is checking his watch!"

“The game begins!”

South Korea (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Kim Seung-gyu
Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-jae, Kim Jin-su
Midfielders: Hwang In-beom, Lee Chung-yong, Jung Woo-young
Forwards: Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang Ui-jo, Son Heung-min
Head Coach: Paulo Bento
"As you can see, both sides are using a 4-2-3-1 formation."

"As for the Chinese team, although they tried playing Tang Ye as a winger in the last match against the Philippines, he returned to his attacking midfield position in this match."

South Korea is definitely a serious opponent, so the primary goal for the Chinese team in this match is to play it safe.

At the start of the match, Son Heung-min quickly found an opportunity on the left flank.

Wu Xi went up to try and steal the ball!

Snapped!
Son Heung-min dribbled the ball forward, then accelerated, directly avoiding a direct confrontation with Wu Xi.

"Oh!"

"The South Korean team has a very strong offensive desire!"

After making the breakthrough, Son Heung-min accelerated forward.

A high ball was delivered to Kim Min-hwan at the back post!
After Kim Min-hwan controlled the ball, she kept it near the byline. At the same time, the Chinese defenders quickly retreated into the penalty area.

Let's see what South Korea plans to do next!
Kim Min-hwan's Story Part 2!
It was given to Hwang Hee-chan in the penalty area!

"Put it on, put it on!"

Yan Junling shouted loudly, and Shi Ke didn't hesitate and decisively stuck to Huang Xican.

Unable to get a shot off immediately, Hwang Hee-chan had no choice but to pass the ball back.

Pass the ball back to Hwang In-beom!

Play a through ball into the penalty area again!

Son Heung-min has the ball!
boom!
The shot was delivered, but Yan Junling easily saved it.

Well!
so close!

Chinese fans suddenly felt the pressure, and the players certainly felt the same way.

"It's alright, it's alright, just make sure you're in a good spot!"

Feng Xiaoting signaled to his teammates not to panic.

South Korea has a corner kick opportunity, and Tang Ye is positioned where he should be.

Snapped!
The corner kick was taken, and Yan Junling punched the ball away with his hand at the first post!

The ball has already flown out, and both teams are vying for it.

Kim Min-hwan gets the ball!
He took a long-range shot right away!
boom!
Kim Min-hwan was hitting hard, but unexpectedly Tang Ye suddenly slid out in front of her.

Tang Ye blocked the ball with his body!
"Beautiful Tang Ye!"

Standing up from the ground, Tang Ye didn't even have time to brush off the grass clippings from his clothes before quickly rejoining the defense on the flank.

The South Korean team wanted to score in this match because only by scoring and taking the lead could they secure first place in the group.

The Chinese team only needs a draw to secure first place in the group, but they still need to score a goal to gain an advantage.

If we gain a significant advantage, we can test the shadow striker tactic again in the final moments of the second half, which is something Lippi wants to do!

KOR: 61%.

CHN: 39%.

With a large number of players from European leagues, the South Korean team's passing and control skills are undoubtedly top-notch.

Fortunately, the Chinese team's deficit wasn't too great; 39% is perfectly acceptable.

After all, China is about depth, not frequency.

"Come!"

With both hands raised, Tang Ye received a pass from his teammate.

He passed the ball with his left foot to his right, then pushed it forward with his right foot, easily shaking off the defenders around him.

Run forward as fast as you can while keeping an eye on your teammates' positions in the middle lane.

The chessboard has been set up.

……

PS: Two more chapters to come.

(End of this chapter)