Reverse.

Chapter 55 Right Now, Right Here

Wang Lie predicted that the Scouse people would launch a fierce counterattack after the game resumed.

But he was wrong.

Because after the game resumed, the Scouse people did not attack, and even if they did attack, the quality was not very high.

It was obvious that they were a little panicked.

Wang Lie obviously underestimated the shock that his direct free kick from nearly 40 meters away would bring to the Scouse people.

It's not so easy for them to recover from their confused state.

You know, during the entire process of Tyne celebrating the goal, the Scots' head coach Josep Gill didn't even give his players the latest instructions on what to do after losing the ball.

He himself really didn't understand how the ball went in...

Damn, it’s the system bureau, right?

There was no problem with his tactical arrangement, the players executed it almost perfectly, and morale was high. The opponent had been reduced to a mess after conceding two goals in thirty minutes.

As long as he continues to play like this, maybe his team can score another goal before the end of the first half?

By the time the score entered the half-time break at 3:0, the game was completely secured. Even at home, Tyne would not be able to cause any trouble.

Then Tyne got a free kick nearly forty meters away from the goal.

When he saw the free kick, he was a little excited. In fact, it was not because he had foreseen that his team might lose points from this free kick, but because he wanted to put pressure on the referee.

And he really thought that Wang Lie was faking a fall - it wasn't like that guy had no previous record of something similar.

Looking back now, it seems that his previous rage on the sidelines was "foresighted"...

After the game, the media might say:
"When Josep Gil was angry about Radu's foul off the court, he must have seen that scene - the scene where the football flew into the goal..."

This description makes it seem like he is a coward who was frightened by Wang Lie's reputation in advance!

※※※

The Scots played in a bit of disarray after losing the ball, but Tyne's morale was high and they took the opportunity to launch an attack and threaten their goal.

Wang Lie once headed the ball over the goal, and although he didn't score, he still won applause and cheers from the Tyne fans in the stands.

Not long after, Vitini got the ball on the left rib outside the penalty area, and Wang Lie moved towards the rib in the penalty area.

Seeing this, Vitini passed the ball to him.

Wang Lie used his body to hold up the center back Joey Lieber behind him, but at the same time he was also pressed closely by Lieber and could not turn around.

Seeing him get the ball in the penalty area, in addition to Libert, Scouse midfielder Boissier also turned around and pressed forward, while he had previously been defending Vitini.

The reason why he left Vitini behind to defend Wang Lie was, of course, because Wang Lie had just scored a goal and his feet felt hot, so he had to defend against him.

He and Libert came up to press Wang Lie, but Vitini was left unguarded.

After passing the ball to Wang Lie, the Brazilian boy went straight into the penalty area.

When Wang Lie was being closely blocked by Libert, he used his heel to knock the ball behind him, which was exactly the direction Vitini was heading for!

"Vitini!"

"King! WOW!"

"Heels! Beautiful!"

"One-two! Vitini!"

Amid the cheers of Tyne fans, Vitini received the ball on the left side of the penalty area. He took a small step forward and kicked the ball!
"Lucero!"

Argentine goalkeeper Lucero, who was hit in the crotch by Wang Lie's free kick just now, made a wonderful save this time!

Although his body fell towards the near corner, his left foot dragged outside and blocked the football that was heading towards the back corner!

"nice shot!"

"so close!"

"Pity!"

"Lucero saves Vitini's shot!"

"Although there was no goal, Tyne's attack was really great! After Wang scored, Tyne's attack seemed to come alive!"

Vitini was still very regretful for not scoring a goal. He covered his face with his hands and screamed to the sky.

Wang Lie felt sorry and pity for Vitini missing this opportunity, but he still gave his little fan a thumbs up: "Well done!"

It’s really good. Except for the unsatisfactory results, the previous cooperation was very good.

If Tyne can always make such cooperation in front of the Scouse penalty area, then scoring a goal is a matter of time.

Not only was Wang Lie on the field satisfied with the attack, but so were Tyne head coach McNeill and his assistant coach Varo off the field.

"In the past when there was no Wang, Vitini would have forced the ball into the penalty area by himself, and it would have been intercepted nine times out of ten. Even if he was lucky enough to break through the penalty area, he would be surrounded and would not be able to shoot. Even passing the ball would be difficult..." Varo sighed.

McNeill nodded: "This is the role of the king. An offensive fulcrum in the penalty area can not only pin down the opponent's defensive players, but also create opportunities for teammates. Then this fulcrum can also score goals, forcing the opponent to defend and dare not not defend."

Valo said: "I think... no matter what the final result of this game is, this tactic should be adhered to. At present, this is the most suitable for us."

"Yeah." McNeill thought exactly the same thing.

※※※

Josep Gil broke out in a cold sweat when he saw Wang Lie pass the ball to Vitini with his heel.

His mind seemed to have recovered from a high fever because of the sweat.

So he immediately gestured to his players on the sidelines, telling them to continue with their pressing tactics against Tyne.

Although Gill has recovered, the Scouse players on the field have not fully recovered yet.

So it was the same tactics and the same group of players, but because their morale and mentality were affected, the execution was not as smooth as before they conceded the goal.

It was not until seven or eight minutes before the end of the first half that the Scouse players gradually recovered.

But at this time, Tyne adopted a defensive counterattack tactic, tightening the fence in the backcourt. If the ball was at his feet, he would not entangle with the Scouse people, but pass the ball forward to find Vitini and Dean, the two arrows.

As for Wang Lie...

Under this tactic, Wang Lie is no longer the one at the forefront.

When the team defends and counterattacks, his position is relatively far back, almost becoming a midfielder.

When counterattacking, if the ball can be transferred to him, let him transfer it. If not, just pass him and hit it to the front to the two forwards.

He will decide whether to go up to support based on the specific situation - if a long pass directly gives the ball to the opponent, then there is no need for him to go up, and he should stay behind to help defend.

To be honest, many people felt sad after watching this scene.

Luo Jin said: "Wang Lie has almost become a defensive midfielder recently. He helps the team defend in the middle and can hardly go up during offense... We rarely see this tactical positioning in Wang Lie before. He can completely not participate in the team's defense..."

He was right. Wang Lie had defensive immunity in his prime, and Sofolian actually had one less player on defense.

However, Sofollow's performance at that time was not bad either.

Ultimately, the benefits of keeping Wang Lie in the frontcourt far outweigh the loss of having him missing on defense.

But now Wang Lie obviously does not have the qualifications and conditions to enjoy this privilege.

He must integrate into the team's overall defense and make his own small contribution to the team's defense...

In fact, it is not small.

As long as he can appear in the position where the head coach needs him, he will contribute to the defense.

After all, defense relies on the whole, not a certain person. In his position, he can fill the gaps between the formations and make it difficult for the Scouse team's offense to pass through the midfield.

In most defensive scenarios, staying in position is more important than making a great tackle.

Although the Scouse team had returned to normal, supported by Wang Lie's goal, Tyne's defense was also full of confidence.

So in the last few minutes of the first half, the Scots failed to break through the Tyne goal and could only enter the halftime break with a one-goal lead.

Although they are leading, I am afraid that no one, from the Scouse players to the fans, will be satisfied with this result.

This can also be seen from the performance of the players on both sides when they left the court:
When the Scouse players left the field, they lowered their heads and walked quickly towards the player tunnel.

As the Tyne players left the field, they either waved their fists to the home fans in the stands to win cheers, or chatted and laughed with their teammates.

If someone turned on the TV for the first time and saw this scene, they would definitely think that the real-time score on the TV broadcast was wrong - it should be Tyne leading Scots 2:1, right?
However, some people can't help but worry when seeing this scene:
Is it too early to be happy?
Be careful not to get carried away!
※※※After returning to the locker room, Scouse head coach Josep Gil encouraged the players who were feeling a little depressed:
"Gentlemen, I must remind you that we are leading now, not falling behind. Your behavior gives me the illusion that we have lost the game?"

Hearing the head coach's words, the Scouse players in the locker room all raised their heads.

"Very good, raise your heads. I want to tell you that your performance in the first half was very good! I am not complimenting you, nor am I telling you nice lies to boost your morale. I am telling you the truth. We scored a goal one minute after the start of the first half, and despite their pressing, we were still able to score another goal. Whether from the score or the game scene, we were the better performer! As for conceding the goal... that was just an accident. Even if you are a king, it would be luck to score a free kick from such a long distance!"

It's the "luck theory" again, but Jill didn't lie with his eyes open.

Scoring a goal from such a long distance with a direct free kick certainly requires technical skills, but if you say there is no element of luck, then you are lying.

Not only that, it’s huge.

Wang Lie kicked the elevator free kick, which is his specialty. This kind of free kick itself requires luck.

This is also the reason why the goal rate of elevator free kicks is relatively low.

Wang Lie is good at elevator free kicks, but elevator free kicks only account for a small part of his 69 free kick goals.

It's just that if you are lucky enough to kick a free kick, it will be an unstoppable world wave. It is very entertaining and explosive, and it leaves the deepest impression on the world - such as the goal in the first half.

"...and they won't have such good luck in the second half!"

Josepé Gil shouted, waving her hand.

"Tactically, we have no problem. Your performance in the first half and the two goals have proved this very well, so I will not make any tactical adjustments in the second half. You just need to adjust your mentality and get back into the game like you did in the first half. In the last few minutes of the first half, Wang was forced to retreat to the midfield under our pressure and do the work of a defensive player. We have to continue playing like this in the second half and force him away from the goal! Maybe he can switch to playing defensive midfield after this game..."

Jill spread her hands, shrugged and curled her lips.

When the Scouse players in the locker room heard the head coach mocking Wang Lie, they also started laughing, and the previously gloomy atmosphere finally improved.

Amidst the laughter, Jill looked at Chi Zhen, who had a stern face and didn't smile, and called his name: "Chi, you performed very well in the first half. In the second half, the left side where you are will be our main attack point. You need to get the ball more often, break through, create threats, and disrupt their defense! Got it?"

Chi Zhen nodded a little excitedly and responded loudly: "I know, boss!"

He knew it was because of his outstanding performance in the first half that the head coach decided to give him an important task.

How could he let go of such an opportunity?
Jill was very satisfied with Chi Zhen's energetic answer.

Chi Zhen is not the core of his team, but he is an indispensable main force. On the left side of the team, Chi Zhen is a very good explosive point. So since last season, as long as he is not injured, he will arrange for him to start, and Chi Zhen rarely lets him down.

Moreover, he knew that the head coach of the Chinese national team was watching the game in the stands.

So he could understand why Chi Zhen's performance in the first half today was exceptionally good.

He wanted to make full use of this situation and stimulate Chi Zhen to perform better.

Chi Zhen, who was entrusted with an important task by the head coach, also clenched his fists excitedly.

He now recalled that after Brother Wang scored the goal, there were a few moments when he actually doubted himself and wondered if he could compete with Brother Wang... Now he felt ashamed of it - Brother Wang just scored a goal, but I was scared to surrender, how could I compete with Brother Wang for the core position in the national team?

Now that the boss has given me full support, I must perform better in the second half than in the first half!
If Brother Wang can score goals, I can score goals too. I want to score more goals than Brother Wang!
※※※

"It turns out that our tactics are effective!"

In the home team locker room, head coach McNeill had just emphasized to the players that they should continue to play in the second half like they did in the second half of the first half, and he said a few more words to encourage the players.

“Although we lost two goals in the first 30 minutes, our overall performance was good. The first goal was a pure accident, and our luck wasn’t good for the second goal either… Overall, I’m proud of your performance in the first half. Facing an enemy much stronger than you, you showed both courage and resilience, and these two points are actually the key to winning the game.”

After McNeill finished speaking, he pointed at Wang Lie and said, "We don't have the tradition of letting the captain speak again during the halftime break. But I think Wang speaks better than me, so I'll give the next part to him. Come on, Wang!"

He hooked his arm towards Wang Lie.

When Wang Lie spoke as captain for the first time, he stood up from his seat and walked to the center of the locker room.

McNeill was a little surprised at the time - he thought Wang Lie would speak directly from his seat, just like Goetz did.

Unexpectedly, Wang Lie walked to the center of the locker room like a head coach.

And now McNeill even took the initiative to invite Wang Lie to come to the center and hand over the stage to him.

Wang Lie did not refuse. Even though Sam did not tell him in advance that there would be a halftime speech, he still stood up and walked over.

McNeil himself retreated to the wall and stood with his assistant coach.

The players in the locker room looked at Wang Lie, and Wang Lie also looked at them. He could see that the expressions in many of them were slightly different from before.

When she looked at him, there was no more mockery or contempt in her eyes, and the hint of indifference was also much lighter.

Wang Lie knew very well that this was the result of the goal he had just scored in the first half.

Although it was not his first goal at Tyne, it made it clear to his teammates that his words carried weight.

Because that was a goal that they thought was impossible before they shot it.

So Wang Lie said:

"Although we are still behind in the score, I say that when this game is over, we will be the winner. Do you believe it?"

Vitini was the first to jump out and shout: "I believe! I believe you, China Wang!"

He even changed his name, and his faith value is soaring.

Wang Lie expressed his gratitude to the supporting actor: "Thank you, Vitini."

Being praised by his idol, Vitini grinned happily, revealing his big white teeth.

Wang Lie continued: "Why do I say that? Because our boss..."

He pointed to head coach McNeill, who was standing against the wall, and the other coaches around him.

"...and our coaching team, the tactics they designed are really good. I believe in the coaches, they are all professional and excellent. Also, I believe in you, my teammates. You are all professional and excellent. I know we lost two goals in the first half, but apart from those two goals, our performance was actually very good! Especially after the first goal..."

Wang Lie looked at his teammates with a serious expression on his face. He didn't have a playful expression or a slick tone. He seemed very sincere.

It was as if he was telling his teammates that everything he said was from the heart, and not just to please them.

Sincerely, sincerely.

Sincerity is the greatest killer move.

When a top player who has won the Ballon d'Or twice in a row looks at you with sincere eyes and says to you in a sincere tone: "I believe in you because you are professional and excellent."

What do you think?
If you are not moved by it, then your heart is definitely not made of flesh and blood.

This is what Wang Lie’s teammates are thinking now:

He said he believed in us!
He said we were great!

Fucking hell!
He's right!

Wang Lie saw the changes on his teammates' faces, but he didn't stop. He continued, "...especially after the first goal. Losing the ball within a minute of the start would be enough to cause chaos for a long time for any team. If you don't believe me, just look at how long the Scouse team was in chaos after losing that goal."

Some people in the locker room began to nod, expressing their most direct agreement with Wang Lie's words.

Because the fact was just as he said, the Scouse people were really in chaos for a long time after Wang Lie scored the goal, about almost ten minutes!
If Vitini's shot from a small angle had gone in, they would now be on par with the third place in the league.

Wang Lie raised his voice:

"But we didn't. After we lost the ball, we quickly pressed the Scouse players and at one point they couldn't even get past half the field! People outside criticized us for being 'mercenaries', but they should have taken a good look at the first thirty minutes of this game. Which 'mercenaries' could fight to such an extent? Forget 'mercenaries', even the current Sofia United can't fight to such an extent!"

Hearing him say this, everyone in the locker room burst into laughter.

"Really, I'm not kidding. Your fighting spirit has surpassed many Premier League teams, especially the big clubs." Wang Lie raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

Then the laughter gradually became smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.

Varo turned his head and glanced at McNeill, and found that the latter was looking at Wang Lie intently and listening to him speak.

Wang Lie continued, "So in the second half, we will continue to follow the tactics arranged by the coaching staff and play against them. No matter what happens, we must firmly believe that we can win... You must believe this! They are only third in the league. Let alone third, even if they are first in the league, there is nothing to be afraid of!"

Others might sound a bit pretentious when they say this, but when Wang Lie says this, it’s the truth.

Not to mention the distant past, just last season, when the Scots challenged Sofia United away, they were first in the league.

The results of it?
Wang Lie beat them 3:2 at the Red Stone Stadium, and they lost both the first place in the league and the championship.

Facing his teammates who were staring at him seriously, Wang Lie raised his hand and pointed at his feet:

"I still say the same thing. I will prove that I, Wang Lie, can lead you to victory. Today, right here!"

※※※

PS: There will be two updates tomorrow!
Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)