Chapter 28: The Switch

"Today's Tyne feels a bit different from before..."

After watching the match for nearly half an hour, Luo Jin reached this conclusion.

"They are playing with more initiative and aggression. Of course, this is Tyne's home ground, so being more proactive is normal. But... it's still different. Tyne's desire to attack is much stronger."

Luo Jin was right. From the very beginning of the match, this Tyne side displayed a fierce hunger for offense and a high level of aggression. Their high-pressing game in the midfield and attacking third left the Harlingham FC players struggling to adapt. This tireless pressing also allowed Tyne to establish an advantage on the pitch.

During this period, the Tyne fans were truly enjoying themselves. With every successful tackle, dribble, pass, and shot by the Tyne players, the fans in the stands erupted into thunderous cheers.

Wang Lie sat on the bench, finding it hard not to be drawn in by such continuous cheering. One thing had to be said: perhaps because Tyne was a small club without any glorious achievements, the fans here didn't demand much from their team. Even though they had been fighting for survival for years, their fans seemed relatively tolerant and easily satisfied.

Looking at the season as a whole, the Tyne fans were happy as long as the team remained in the Premier League. Looking at a single match, even if Tyne's ranking and point tally weren't ideal, as long as the team showed a fighting spirit and had a few moments of brilliance, it was enough for them to cheer the team on.

This was quite different from a top-tier giant like Sofu United. The fans of a giant club naturally had the expectations of a giant; if they didn't win the championship at the end of the season, the whole team could expect to be torn to shreds by the media and the fans. During a match, if a player made a few mistakes, whistles would immediately ring out across Redstone Stadium. Even a superstar of Wang Lie's caliber would hear those whistles at home if he had two consecutive games of poor performance, let alone anyone else. Such an atmosphere forced Wang Lie to always maintain top form to live up to the red jersey he wore.

Wang Lie wasn't saying which situation was better or worse, because each had its own reasons. He believed that if Tyne could consistently win matches, the fans would gradually raise their expectations and would no longer be so tolerant of poor performances. Conversely, if Sofu United failed to win a title for a few more seasons, perhaps the League Cup—which the fans previously looked down upon—would be enough to make them ecstatic.

For instance, right now, Sofu United had failed to qualify for the Champions League for three consecutive seasons, so reaching the Champions League had become the supreme goal of the season. The fans felt that whoever could lead the team into the Champions League proper was the "chosen one" for the club. Sven Helden had demonstrated that possibility, so he had gained the support of the majority.

A similar situation existed in Chinese football. When Wang Lie first encountered football, the professionalization of the sport in China had only just begun. Back then, if the Chinese national team could qualify for a World Cup finals, it would become a nationwide holiday. He still remembered the 2006 Germany World Cup, when the Chinese team entered the tournament for the first time; his father had even wept like a child. As for the rest of the country, he was too young then to have a deep impression, but he remembered that the celebrations, banquets, and revelry lasted for an entire month.

If they could win a single game at the World Cup, or score a goal, or earn a point—any of these would make Chinese fans happy for a whole year, turning it into a classic moment to be brought up repeatedly. But as the reforms in Chinese football deepened and the level of play gradually improved, the thoughts and expectations of Chinese fans changed—simply qualifying for the World Cup no longer stimulated them; they began to dream of the Chinese team reaching the knockout stages.

In the 2018 Russia World Cup, the Chinese team reached the knockout stages for the first time in history, eventually bowing out in the Round of 16. That was also the first World Cup Wang Lie participated in. He made two appearances and scored one goal in that tournament. Four years later, at the 2022 China World Cup, thanks to the home-field advantage, the Chinese team reached the knockout stages for the second consecutive time, and this time they even stormed into the quarterfinals! It was the best result in their history.

Having reached the knockout stages in two consecutive World Cups, Wang Lie and the veteran players of that era were dubbed the "Golden Generation" of Chinese football. Since creating that history, the demands of Chinese fans rose accordingly; they were no longer satisfied with just qualifying for the World Cup, nor were they satisfied with just reaching the knockout stages. Some even shouted for the goal of "winning the World Cup."

Unfortunately, since then, although the Chinese team remained a stable presence at the World Cup, they never again managed to break into the quarterfinals. In the 2026 North American World Cup, they didn't even make it past the group stage, heading home after just three matches. The "Golden Generation" of Chinese football withered away after that tournament, leaving only Wang Lie behind.

Because of their poor performance in that World Cup, Chinese fans lowered their expectations again, no longer talking about "the semifinals" or "the championship," but hoping instead that the Chinese team would one day reach the quarterfinals again. But things went against their wishes; even with lowered expectations, the Chinese team was shut out of the quarterfinals for the next two consecutive World Cups. If the Chinese team were to bow out in the Round of 16 at the next World Cup in England, it was estimated that the fans would lower their expectations once more, settling for "as long as we make it to the knockout stage, it's fine."

That is how football works; the winner takes all. If you want to regain respect and cheers, you must win—you must be the "winner."

***

While Wang Lie was lost in thought, the television broadcast gave him a close-up shot. However, those outside the lens couldn't tell he was distracted, seeing only a face focused intently on the pitch, with brows slightly furrowed.

"Tyne has the advantage, but they haven't converted it into a goal. Wang might be thinking, 'If I were on the pitch, that might have gone in, ha!'" joked English commentator Connor Cowley.

***

While Wang Lie was distracted, Tyne had a great opportunity. Vitini cut inside from the flank and delivered a cross, but the striker in the middle, Ryan Graham, was a split second too slow, missing the ball and failing to break the deadlock.

Seeing the ball flash across the goal line before being cleared by a Harlingham FC player, Vitini was even more agitated than Graham, who had missed the chance. He dropped to his knees, punched the turf in anger, and let out a string of curses. Of course, he quickly realized his outburst, looked up, and hurriedly cast his gaze toward the bench, searching for Wang Lie.

Seeing Wang Lie sitting calmly on the bench, his upper body not even swaying, Vitini recalled what Wang Lie had told him before the match. Knowing Wang Lie as he did, his idol was definitely not someone who would be indifferent to a missed opportunity, so why was he so calm and composed?

*That must be to remind me to control my anger.*

*Yes, control! Control! Flip the switch and shut the anger away!*

Vitini closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and held the final one for a long time before exhaling the hot breath as he opened his eyes. He felt a bit calmer inside. Although he was still very dissatisfied with Graham missing the chance, he didn't roar at his teammate, "Why didn't you start your run earlier?"

*It really works!* Vitini felt a surge of joy: *My idol's method really works!*

***

Vitini drew not only confidence but also strength from his idol's method. With a peaceful mindset, his performance on the pitch improved, and his left side became the main direction for Tyne's attacks. As the first half was about to enter stoppage time, Vitini received the ball on his customary left flank.

Harlingham FC midfielder Joel Breslin came up to block him. Vitini suddenly pushed the ball toward the center, accelerating to try and slip past the defender. Breslin knew exactly how fast Vitini's sudden burst of speed was, and he knew that this Brazilian was the most dangerous attacking player for Tyne in this match; he absolutely could not let him go easily.

Breslin grabbed the back of Vitini's jersey and refused to let go, even as the shirt was stretched like a triangular sail, until he heard the referee's whistle and a roar of boos erupt simultaneously.

"Breslin committed a foul with a pull!"
"That's a tactical foul! No choice, Vitini's acceleration is just too fast; if he didn't pull him, he couldn't have stopped him!"
"Vitini was just like an electric scooter! Breslin's neck veins were bulging just to hold him back!"

A golden opportunity was terminated by a foul, and a fire ignited in Vitini's chest. If it were before, he would have undoubtedly gone to the referee to protest and demand a card for the offender. But as he turned, he caught a glimpse of the distant Tyne bench. Although he hadn't precisely pinpointed his idol in the crowd, his words already echoed in his mind.

*Control the anger, don't let the anger control you.*

He saw several Harlingham FC players surrounding the referee, seemingly trying to argue their case. As a professional player, he barely needed to analyze the situation to know what to do. He immediately bent down to pick up the ball, handed it to Mathis van Ginkel, who was nearby preparing to take the free kick, and whispered, "Take it quickly, Mathis!"

After handing the ball to Van Ginkel, Vitini walked away, skirting around the crowd and moving forward. He didn't run, fearing it would draw the attention of the Harlingham FC players and ruin the quick free-kick tactic. He could only hope that Van Ginkel understood his intention. To avoid being noticed by the Harlingham FC players, he hugged the sideline.

Although Van Ginkel didn't know the exact plan for this quick free kick, since Vitini was in such good form, he decided to just give the ball to him and trust him. The Dutch midfielder bent down to place the ball, stood up, and instead of backing away, he chipped the ball directly to Vitini near the sideline!

Meanwhile, most of the players on the field still had their attention on the referee. Even some of the Tyne players had run over to the referee to lobby for a yellow card for Breslin, let alone the Harlingham FC players. At that moment, six players in total were surrounding the referee, and no one noticed the ball.

But the referee noticed. He saw Van Ginkel chip the ball and knew this was a quick free kick. He didn't blow his whistle to call it back; instead, he bypassed the players blocking his path—especially the Harlingham FC players—and ran toward the attacking third, a very clear signal for "play on!"

"Tyne with a quick free kick! It's Vitini!"

***

The Tyne fans who were just booing saw Vitini lift his foot to receive the ball and immediately switched seamlessly to cheering. Amidst the thunderous roar, Vitini used the outside of his right foot to control and push Van Ginkel's chipped ball inward!

Because many Harlingham FC players were focused on the referee, their defensive line was disorganized, leaving a huge space in the half-space. Vitini aimed for this space; to increase the element of surprise, he pushed the ball directly into the open area and accelerated to chase it.

Sure enough, the quick free kick caught Harlingham FC off guard! The players who had been blocking the referee scrambled to turn and defend, while the defensive players in the middle immediately pressed toward Vitini.

Vitini wound up his left foot as if to cross, drawing the center-back toward him and forcing him to lift his leg and turn to block. Instead, Vitini pulled the ball back to his right foot and came to a sudden stop! The Harlingham FC center-back could only slide helplessly past him...

"Vitini! Vitini!!"
"Great play! Vitini! What a beautiful cutback!"

Having gotten past the center-back, Vitini raised his right foot again, curling the ball with the inside of his boot toward the far corner! The ball traced a massive arc, bypassing a second Harlingham FC defender and the outstretched palm of goalkeeper Valdimar Adalsteinsson...

It then grazed the inside of the far post and flew into the net!

"Wow!! Vitini—beautiful!! A world-class goal!" Luo Jin shouted, his arms raised. Since Wang Lie transferred to Tyne, he had automatically become a supporter of the club. Seeing Tyne score, even though the opponent was a Chinese-owned club, he was still happy for Tyne. Of course, deep down, perhaps because the Harlingham FC manager Roster had spouted nonsense about Wang Lie before the match, Luo Jin had developed a personal bias before even starting his commentary.

As the ball flew into the net, the atmosphere at Leese Park Stadium erupted. Vitini turned and sprinted toward the bench. Along the way, he flashed past several excited teammates and headed straight for his idol in front of the bench.

When he scored, Wang Lie had leaped from his warm seat on the bench, rushing out with his arms raised. After the initial excitement, he high-fived the teammates around him, including Sonny Dean, who was also on the bench. Dean only realized after the high-five that the person he had just slapped hands with was Wang Lie...

He felt a bit awkward, but he quickly masked it by going to high-five someone else, passing the energy from Wang Lie's hand to his teammate. Joshua Parker had been very happy to celebrate with Dean, but when Dean's hand slammed into his, he almost screamed in pain. He grimaced at Dean's back, wondering what kind of fit the kid was having—it was just a celebration, were you trying to slap me to death?! Parker could only clench his fists and bend over, shouting in pain. But to an outsider, it surely looked like he was excited to the point of hysteria over Vitini's goal.

When Vitini rushed to the bench, Wang Lie was applauding him. Vitini pointed at Wang Lie and then leaped into him. Wang Lie didn't expect the kid to be so reckless; he quickly opened his arms, but it was too late to stabilize his center of gravity. The sweat-drenched Vitini crashed into him...

Wang Lie felt the impact from the twenty-two-year-old, his body leaning backward. Fortunately, his teammates were behind him, helping him stabilize so he wouldn't be knocked onto the ground by Vitini.

"I did it, Wang! I did it! I controlled the anger!! This is the first time! The first time!! Ahhh!!" Vitini, buried in Wang Lie's arms, closed his eyes and roared hysterically.

Wang Lie patted his back and cheered him on loudly: "Well done! Vitini! Well done! You proved you can do it! Fantastic!"

Vitini continued to push forward into Wang Lie's arms, and Wang Lie could only try his best to support his body... fortunately, he had teammates behind him to lean on, otherwise he really would have been toppled over by this "little bull."

*Being young is great,* he thought, *seeming to have endless energy and vitality, even putting everything into the celebration...*

Sonny Dean, behind Wang Lie, was bearing the impact of both men in front of him. He was struggling, feeling miserable, and wanted to escape. But he was trapped by the excited teammates—who were screaming and rushing over to hug Wang Lie and Vitini—and he hadn't been able to dodge in time, getting caught in the middle...

He was pressed tightly against Wang Lie's back, half his face plastered against the back of Wang Lie's head. His ears were filled with various roars, and he felt countless thumps on his head, shoulders, and back.

***

Watching Vitini hug and celebrate with his teammates and the substitutes including Wang Lie, Luo Jin said happily, "Ha! Vitini ran straight to Wang Lie after scoring to hug him. This goal should be dedicated to his idol. Quite good; Wang Lie is adapting to the new team faster than we imagined. This is good news!"

In front of the television, Prince Qi asked his mother with confusion, "Isn't Tyne nicknamed the 'Mercenaries'? Why do they look so united?"

Tang Xingmei explained to her son, "'Mercenaries' doesn't mean they are having internal conflicts 24/7. They just tend to have problems when they encounter difficulties."

Prince Qi understood: "I get it, they can only play well when things are going their way."

Tang Xingmei nodded, agreeing with her son's assessment: "If things are going their way, Tyne's combat effectiveness is actually not weak."

Prince Qi muttered, "So is today a good day or a bad day? They scored first in the last game too, and ended up being turned around..."

Tang Xingmei didn't answer her son this time, because she didn't know either.

***

PS: Considering not all readers are veteran fans, and I'm worried that terms like "half-space," "center," or "flank" might be hard to understand, I've included this illustration to help everyone understand.