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Chapter 124 You Can't Grasp This Champions League Qualification

The Peshawar car fairy, donkey hoof repair, carpet washing and other "time killers" that usually allow him to immerse himself in them unconsciously, but today, they have no effect on Fu Xiaofeng.

He couldn't concentrate on watching those videos at all. He was always thinking about other things, which made him upset.

After struggling for who knows how long, he finally couldn't help it, quit those videos and switched back to the social media app.

He soon saw the results of the match between Witton Hill and Sofia United.

"…The game is over! Although Sofia United had been bombarding Witton Hill's goal for the last twenty minutes or so, they were unable to break through Witton Hill's goal! The final score was 1:1! Sofia United was tied by Witton Hill at home! This result also means that if Tyne beats Southampton Anker at home in a later game, they will only be three points behind Sofia United!"

Xiao Feng actually did it!
Fu Xiaofeng's first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief, and then to feel happy for Feng Qiyuan:

He does what he says!
He looked down and saw a video of Feng Qiyuan being interviewed by reporters in the mixed zone after the game.

In the video, the reporter asked him: "You said before the game that you would seek justice for Wang Lie. And you did score a goal in the game and tied with Sofia United, helping Tyne narrow the gap between them and Sofia United. Do you think you have helped Wang Lie get justice?"

The question was asked by a Chinese reporter, and Feng Qiyuan also answered the question in Mandarin.

He shook his head: "It's almost there. It would be even better if we could win in the end..."

The Chinese reporters who asked the questions were all amused.

Fu Xiaofeng, who was holding a mobile phone, was also amused: Damn, this kid is pretending!

He exited the video playback and suddenly wanted to watch the match between Tyne and Southampton.

If Tyne can really beat Southampton Anker, then Wang Lie’s previous boast may really come true!
So he refreshed his information flow, and sure enough, the latest news about the match between Tyne and Southampton popped up on his homepage:
"In the 1nd minute, Tai Butler scored and Southampton Ankle leads Tyne 0: away from home!"

Fu Xiaofeng looked at the phone screen in surprise.

※※※

"...Now it seems that Witton Hill's draw with Sofia United may not be good news for Tyne players!" said commentator Connor Cowley.

"They may think they have won the game, but in fact, they have been unable to get into the game state since the start of the game. On the contrary, the visiting Southampton players were very proactive and made it difficult for the Tyne players!

"This goal was just the ultimate reflection of the situation in the first 30 minutes of the game... Before that, Southampton Anker had created many scoring opportunities. If it weren't for Goetz's many wonderful saves, Tyne would have lost the ball long ago!

"But even so, Goetz alone can't withstand Southampton's fierce attack! If he can't threaten Southampton on the offensive end, it's only a matter of time before he loses the ball!"

In the media gallery, Lawrence Dadomo wrote a tweet on his phone and sent it out:
"This is what I have repeatedly emphasized as 'experience'! When opportunities come, teams without relevant experience will be completely unable to grasp them. This is what is happening with Tyne now. They are completely immersed in the excitement of being tied by Sofia United... I bet the only thing on the minds of the Tyne players is how many league points they will have after winning this game, not how to win this game. They may not have even thought that Southampton Anker would cause them trouble away from home..."

Nearly an hour ago, after Sofa United was tied by Witton Hill, his social media platform was almost flooded with Wang Lie's fans.

Now this is his counterattack:

You are so happy that Sofia United was tied, but it’s too early for you to be happy!
Now see, was I right?
You are making fun of Sofia United now, but if Tyne loses at home, you deserve to be laughed at by others!
※※※

After conceding the goal, the Tyne players were obviously anxious and wanted to equalize the score as soon as possible.

But more haste, less speed.

The more anxious they were to equalize the score, the less likely they were to score.

Although the attack was fierce, there were not many opportunities to threaten Southampton's goal.

It can be said to be a typical case of "much ado about nothing".

In this way, until the referee blew the whistle to end the first half, the score did not change, still 0:1, with Southampton leading the away game.

After the players from both teams entered the tunnel, the photographer behind the baseline billboard looked down at the photos he had taken.

Most of the Tyne players in the photos looked dejected or anxious.

Comparing this with the photograph he took of Tyne players getting off the bus before the game, the contrast is stark.

He already had an idea - if Tyne really lost the game, he would put these two sets of photos together and tell everyone:

Everything was predetermined. In fact, the signs of failure had already appeared before the game when the Tyne players were all smiling...

※※※

"That's a good goal!"

In the home team's locker room, Tyne head coach McNeill's shout broke the dull and suffocating atmosphere in the locker room.

Everyone looked up at their head coach.

"Ever since we heard that Sofia United were tied by Witton Hill, we have all been in a daze, as if we had already won the game. But fortunately, this goal woke us up! And fortunately, we lost the ball in the first half. If we had lost the ball in the second half, it would have been too late. Now we still have a chance to correct the mistakes in the first half!"

McNeill did not criticize the team's performance in the first half, but this made the Tyne players even more ashamed - after conceding the goal, they actually realized what mistakes they had made.

If nothing unexpected happens, there will be a storm of criticism when I return to the locker room.

That's why they were so anxious to equalize the score before the end of the first half.

But unfortunately, the more anxious he was, the less likely he was to score.

We could only enter the halftime break with a trailing score.

The head coach did not blame them, nor did he let them breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, he blamed himself more and secretly vowed in his heart that he must perform better in the second half.

"Anke has a very clear plan for Wang. We can't always count on him to score goals... In the second half, they will definitely shrink their defense and counterattack us when they are leading. Although we will have more possession on the field, we may not create more threatening opportunities. Every opportunity is very valuable! As long as we can equalize the score, the situation will be reversed and it will be in our favor! This requires others to seize the opportunity when they get it!"

When Dean heard what the head coach said, he lowered his head.

Although the head coach did not criticize him, he was not satisfied with his performance in the first half.

It’s not that Tyne didn’t have scoring opportunities in the first half, but he wasted the best one – he hit the ball high from five meters away from the goal…

This goal was scored before Southampton Anker scored. If he had scored this goal, there might not have been the next goal by Tyne and the score should have been 1:0 leading Southampton Anker, not the other way around.

If Tyne really lost the game in the end, then the ball he kicked away might be the turning point of the entire season. He would leave the team as a "sinner", which might become an eternal regret in his heart.

He kept his head down, not letting anyone see the pain and self-blame on his face, because it didn't fit his "personality"...

After arranging the specific tactical adjustments, McNeill called Wang Lie again: "Say a few words to everyone. At this time, your experience is crucial, Wang."

Wang Lie did not refuse. He stood up again and walked to the middle of the locker room. He looked around at his teammates before speaking: "The first half was a lesson for our team. After all, this was our first time competing for the Champions League qualification. Seeing that we are getting closer and closer to this qualification, it is normal for people to be uneasy. The boss is right. Fortunately, we lost the ball in the first half. It is better to use the halftime lag as a lesson than to use the failure of the Champions League qualification as a lesson, right?

"Now we have a full 45 minutes to make up for the mistakes we made. No one can avoid making mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes as long as we can learn from them. How can we prove that we have learned the lessons and how can we prove that we have improved? Of course, by winning this game! So you see..."

Wang Lie spread his hands when he said this:
"Have things become the same as they were at the beginning? No matter how complicated the situation is, it can be simplified to 'win the game in front of us'. When our goal seems illusory, don't think too far ahead, focus on the present and win the game. When we are close to our goal, don't think about what will happen after winning, focus on the present, or win the game. Guys, football is like this, no matter what the future holds, we have to play one game after another and win one game after another!"

After saying this, he clapped his hands vigorously:
"Now, let's go win this game!" ※※※

"The second half of the game has begun! Southampton Anker did not make any personnel adjustments - this is normal, they are the leading side, there is no need to make substitutions. However, Tyne made substitutions during the halftime break. McNeil replaced attacking midfielder Van Ginkel with center forward Peter Oliver. The team's formation also changed from 433 in the starting lineup to 442..."

Connor Cowley introduced the changes of the two teams to the audience.

Marvin Block, the commentator of this game, analyzed:

"This is the right adjustment. Southampton will obviously shrink their defense in the second half and play a defensive counterattack. Facing such a dense defense, Tyne needs a center forward who can share the pressure for other attackers including Wang, and at the same time be a fulcrum in the penalty area to pressure the opponent's defenders... Although Oliver's scoring ability is not as good as Wang, he is definitely better than Wang as a fulcrum center forward."

Brock had very complicated emotions while commentating on this game. On the one hand, he had to comment on the game impartially and fairly without showing too obvious emotional tendencies.

On the other hand, he did have a tendency deep down in his heart - after being tied by Witton Hill at home in Sofia, if Tyne beat Southampton, his old club's qualification for the Champions League next season would be in jeopardy.

He certainly doesn't want Sofia to lose the right to participate in the Champions League again, but as a commentator, he cannot be too biased in his commentary on the game.

At most, he just shouted a little louder when Southampton scored a goal in the first half...

Now when he saw the adjustments made by McNeill, his heart skipped a beat and he had a bad feeling.

Because his former teammate's adjustment was really spot-on...

In the first half, Southampton Anker tightened their restrictions on Wang Lie, making it almost difficult for him to get decent chances.

Wang Lie had to play center, which he was not very good at. Since Wang Lie performed well in Tyne, there are many analyses about "why Wang Lie's performance in Tyne and Sofia is so different". One of them has been recognized by many people, that is, one of the important factors of this change is the position on the field. In Sofia, Wang Lie worked as a center, while in Tyne, Wang Lie was more like a forward. So his performance in Tyne seems to be the "iron proof" of the view that "Wang Lie is not suitable to play center".

McNeill saw the dilemma Wang Lie was facing, so he replaced him with a real center forward during the half-time break to deal with Southampton's tight defense.

Southampton's defenders had to divide their forces to defend Oliver in the penalty area - they could choose not to defend, but how terrible it would be to let a center forward get the ball at will in their own penalty area? Do they really dare to gamble?

Of course, Marvin Bullock didn't think that Southampton Anker dared to do so. They would have to disperse their defensive forces on Oliver, so Wang Lie's space for movement would be increased. With the help of Vitini and Dean who retreated to the midfield, Tyne's attack in the second half would be more threatening than in the first half.

As he expected, just four minutes into the second half, Tyne created a very threatening attack.

Wang Lie got a chance to shoot at the edge of the penalty area. His shot forced Southampton goalkeeper Jonathan White to make a wonderful save. He almost used his fingertips to block the ball out of the bottom line, giving Tyne a corner kick.

In Tyne's attack, substitute center forward Peter Oliver did not touch the ball at all and was not even involved in it, but he still played a role.

Because he was at the front, Wang Lie had the opportunity to shoot when he retreated to the penalty area line.

In the first half, he rarely had the chance to break free from the defense and shoot.

Although there was no goal, there were loud cheers from the stands.

“The Tyne fans have seen hope and they are active again!”

※※※

Sven Helden had just arrived home and couldn't wait to turn on the TV - he knew the game between Tyne and Southampton was going on.

He also knew that Tyne was now lagging behind.

The only team that can save him now is Southampton Anker.

As long as Southampton beat Tyne away, Southampton United can still maintain a six-point advantage over Tyne.

Moreover, the planned three points turned into zero points, which might cause the morale of the entire Tyne team to collapse. When the two teams meet directly next weekend, they will be able to defeat Tyne directly, leading the opponent by nine points and securing qualification for next season's Champions League three rounds in advance.

At the post-match press conference of Sofia United, Helden confronted the media reporters head-on, but in fact he was also pinning his hopes on Southampton's victory.

A media reporter asked him directly whether he would consider resigning after Sofia lost the Champions League qualification.

How did he answer?
"We are still fourth in the league so I won't answer any hypothetical questions."

If Southampton beat Tyne today, or even draw with Tyne, all those voices mocking him for being stubborn will disappear.

There is still room for improvement.

He doesn't think he has failed today.

But as soon as he turned on the TV, he heard cheers coming from the TV speakers that were a little different from the cheers of normal games.

More like… Cheers!
His heart skipped a beat.

The screen was fully lit up, and he saw Tyne's No. 7 Vitini breaking through on the wing, and behind him was the Southampton Anker player who slipped to the ground!

He knew where the cheers just now came from...

"Vitini! He's in the penalty area!"

Amid Connor Cowley's shouts, Vitini broke into the penalty area along the baseline, then looked up towards the middle.

Then pass the ball!

Instead of looking for center forward Peter Oliver who had already reached the front of the goal, he made a reverse triangle pass!
The target is Wang Lie who has penetrated into the penalty area!
But Vitini passed the ball a little too far back, and seeing that Wang Lie was about to rush past, he stopped abruptly, turned around, and stretched his foot to reach for the football, as if he wanted to stop the ball in the penalty area.

Beside him, three Southampton players immediately rushed towards him.

Even if Wang Lie could stop the ball, he would be surrounded!
Wang Lie turned around and saw a blue figure in the penalty area behind him. However, since Peter Oliver and himself attracted the attention of almost all the Southampton defenders, the Tyne player who had just run into the penalty area was left unmarked...

So Wang Lie raised his outstretched foot a little higher, and the football slipped out from under his feet!
This leak distracted all the Southampton players in the penalty area!
Those who were surrounding Wang Lie could only watch the football roll backwards...

The man who showed up there was Sonny Dean!

"Dean—!"

Amid Connor Cowley's drawn-out roar, Dean swung his right foot towards the ball that was missed!

Use your ankle muscles to straighten your instep, stay stable, meet the ball... and shoot!

Bang!
He kicked the football directly towards the back corner of the goal!

Southampton goalkeeper Jonathan White first blocked Vitini in the near corner, then turned back and ran to the middle to guard against Wang Lie's shot.

At this moment, his body was like a spring that was almost compressed to its limit.

Then the football was missed by Wang Lie!
Half of his accumulated strength was released at once. When he tried to push off the ground to block Dean's powerful shot, it was already too far away...

He didn't even fly up, his feet didn't even leave the ground, but his body had already fallen down.

He could only watch the football fly into his own goal!
"Dean! Dean!! He finally scored a goal! Assisted by Vitini! Dean equalized the score for Tyne! It's only been fourteen minutes in the second half! Both teams are back to the same starting line!"

The deafening cheers from Lize Park Stadium, mixed with Connor Cowley's roar, came from the TV speakers, hitting Sven Heldon's chest like a sledgehammer!
(End of this chapter)