Chapter 84: What a good way to pull onions out of dry land!
“Neves actually changed his style of play temporarily…”

Assistant coach Cesar Varo said to head coach Sam McNeill in front of the Tyne dugout.

At this time, fifteen minutes had passed since the start of the game.

During this period, Tyne and Hackney Knights played back and forth, the game was very open, and it seemed as if anyone had a chance to score.

McNeill shook his head slightly: “This is indeed something we didn’t expect before the game… Fortunately, it was a temporary change. It seems that the Cavaliers are not playing smoothly. Otherwise, it would be hard to say…”

Before this game, McNeill and Varro analyzed what tactics the Hackney Knights would adopt in this game.

Both men agreed that it would be difficult to stick to the traditional Hackney Knights style with Roel Pope out through injury.

But they all thought that even so, Neves would stick to this style of play and not change it because the preparation time was too tight and there was no time to switch.

In addition, the lineup needs to be rotated, so it is very reasonable to be conservative and choose a style of play that the players are familiar with.

Unexpectedly, Neves got ruthless and abandoned the familiar tactics and chose a simpler and more direct style of play.

Mads Kerten, an attacking midfielder who is not good at organizing offense but good at scoring, was arranged to play as the front midfielder. In front of him, the main scorer, French striker Enzo Lemonnier, was not matched, but Robin Bock, a “sweeping striker” with outstanding physical strength and better running ability.

Dutch striker Robin Bock has a not-so-nice nickname given to him by rival fans of the Hackney Knights – “The Troublemaker”.

Although it sounds unpleasant, it vividly highlights Bock’s playing style.

Relying on his physical strength and diligent attitude comparable to that of a defensive midfielder, Bok, as a striker, can always cause chaos inside and outside the opponent’s penalty area – and after disrupting the opponent’s defense, the attacking side will naturally get more opportunities.

So even though he doesn’t fit the Hackney Knights’ inherent style of play at all and he can’t be a starter on the team, Bock is still an important member of the Cavaliers team and is highly valued by head coach Neves because Bock is good at fighting rough and chaotic battles.

Who can guarantee that their team will never be dragged into a quagmire and fight with opponents?

Moreover, Bok has a good character. He never fights for power and never demands salary that does not match his contribution. He plays when he is allowed to play, and prepares to play when he is not allowed to play. He has a first-class professional attitude and is loved by Hackney Knights fans.

In this game, the Hackney Knights were not as patient in organizing when attacking the frontcourt as they had been before. Through a series of carefully designed runs, they tore through Tyne’s defense, passed the ball to the front of Tyne’s goal, and scored.

Instead, shoot when you have the chance!

It doesn’t matter if you can’t score a goal, as long as you can hit the goal frame, you can create a second attack opportunity.

“An attacking midfielder who is good at scoring, paired with a striker who is good at sweeping the ball… It feels like today’s Hackney Knights took off their tuxedos and picked up a stick from the roadside to fight. It’s totally incompatible with their temperament!” McNeill sighed.

“We can turn them from gentlemen into street thugs… We are not bad! When Tyne played against the Knights in the first half of the season, the opponents were not so serious.”

※※※

When Vitini got the ball on the wing, left-back Charlie Cohen made a high-speed run forward.

When he passed behind Vitini, many people thought that Vitini would pass the ball to him. After all, this was an obvious attack from the back.

But Vitini didn’t do that. He suddenly started to cut diagonally into the penalty area!
This caused Joseph Fitzwater, the right back of Hackney Knights who had been retreating with Charlie Cohen, to rush over again.

He tried to defend Vitini who was breaking through with the ball, but this left the wing empty.

So Vitini took one step and passed the ball to his teammate Charlie Cohen who was making a forward run.

Cohen chased the football down the field, and Fitzwater turned around and chased after him in a panic.

It’s too late!

We still have to rely on teammates in the middle to fill in the gaps…

Hackney Knights’ French center back Malik Mount came over from the middle to defend Cohen.

When Monte ran to the wing to defend, Wang Lie, who was originally in the middle, suddenly turned around and ran out of the penalty area.

At the same time, Sonny Dean rushed from the back point to the middle and took the position where Wang Lie was about to run.

This caused Hackney Knights’ other central defender Sebastian Surget to not dare to follow Wang Liela out, because the space in front of the goal would be empty!
It was at this time that Cohen passed the ball!
He passed the ball out of the penalty area!
An inverted triangle pass!
“Watch out, King!”

Hackney Knights’ Portuguese goalkeeper Rafael Vito pointed at Wang Lie who ran out of the penalty area and shouted at the top of his lungs.

Everyone can see that this ball is for Wang Lie!
Hackney Knights’ defensive midfielder, Nigerian international Kimba Bello, pounced on Wang Lie, trying to interfere with Wang Lie’s shot.

At the same time, another midfielder, Kerten, also approached Wang Lie and formed a double-team with his midfield partner.

But Wang Lie just pretended to shoot and didn’t really want to kick the ball!
He feinted and the football slipped through his crotch!
Both Bello and Kerten came up empty-handed!

The football was passed to the back by Wang Lie, and the person who appeared there was Tyne’s right back Jacob Barnabas!

He swung his right leg towards the football that Wang Lie missed!
Bang!
Sonny Dean in front of the goal quickly bent down and lowered his head because the football was flying towards him!
Rafael Vito’s view was blocked by Dean. When he saw Dean bending down and lowering his head, he leaped out, but failed to touch the football!

At that moment, his heart sank.

Fortunately, the football finally went around the far goal post, flew out of the bottom line, and hit the electronic billboard screen behind the goal, making a dull sound!
“Barnabas—oops! It went wide!”

The Tyne fans in the stands behind the Hackney Knights’ goal put their heads in their hands. Barnabas also put his hands in his hands, then turned and ran back. On the way back, he put down his hands and roared to the sky.

“A full-back pressed to the front of the Knights’ penalty area and completed such a threatening long shot… In today’s game, Tyne played very actively and proactively at home! Facing the Hackney Knights, who are ranked first in the league, they kept pressing forward and attacking, making people even forget that Tyne’s goal this season is… to avoid relegation.”

Connor Cowley exclaimed.

His commentary partner Luke Milne laughed: “Before Wang transferred in, their goal was indeed to avoid relegation. But now it is obvious that their goal should have been updated to European competitions. If they can continue to maintain this performance, qualifying for next season’s European competitions is not an unattainable dream – they are only two points away from qualifying for the seventh-place European Conference League!”

※※※

The reason why right-back Barnabas quickly returned to his position after missing the shot was that he had learned from the lesson he had learned a few minutes ago.

At that time, he came to the frontcourt to participate in the attack and failed to return to defense in time.

As a result, Hackney Knights seized the gap behind him and launched a counterattack.

If it wasn’t for the center back Katic who blocked the ball, I’m afraid I would have become the culprit for the team’s early goal loss.

Although the core midfielder and captain was injured and most of the players in the team were participating in the national team competition, the Hackney Knights were still a very difficult opponent.

After all, they are currently ranked first in the league, and are more than one or two points ahead of second-placed Clayton Athletic.

You should know that Tyne lost both times against Clayton Athletic this season.

Although we cannot simply use the win-loss record and score comparison to determine who is stronger or weaker, it can be used as a reference to know how strong the Hackney Knights are.

Hackney Knights, a traditional powerhouse in North London, last won the league championship in the 2026-2027 season ten years ago.

Now, led by former star Paul Neves, they have a hope of winning the league title again. How could the Knights players not fight desperately against Tyne on the road?

The Scots were leading for almost a whole season last season, but in the end they lost to Sofia United and were overtaken by Clayton Athletic. The lesson was very profound and always reminded the players of Hackney Knights that even a five-point lead over Clayton Athletic is not safe.

Therefore, today’s match against Tyne is a must-win for them. These three points are part of the plan and they must get them.

To be honest, they expected Tyne’s toughness.

Because before this team met them, they had won six of the past seven games and lost only one game, and that loss was to Clayton Athletic, and it was an away game.

“The changes in the Tyne team are so huge that it’s hard to believe… Is this really the impact of Wang’s arrival?” In the coaching booth, Hackney Knights assistant coach Cameron Powell looked at the game on the field and asked the head coach Paul Neves next to him.

“It should be like this, at least from the data performance point of view, the team’s performance trend is completely opposite after Wang joined Tyne and before. Therefore, we can only attribute it to Wang’s role.” Paul Neves said.

“I don’t know if it’s an illusion… Although he is participating in the national team competition as well, why do I feel that Wang’s physical condition is even better than before he went to participate in the national team competition…” Powell said with a frown.

Neves also frowned: “It must be an illusion… How is it possible that he is in better physical condition after playing for the national team?”

Powell remained silent because he also felt that his idea was outrageous.

※※※

The Hackney Knights pushed their attack into the thirty-meter area of ​​Tyne.

This time, Kang Dong-hoon pulled to the wing to receive the ball.

As soon as he received the ball, he pushed it forward suddenly, using his sudden acceleration to shake off Tyne’s right-back Barnabas who was defending him.

“Good shot! Kang Dong-hoon!” The Korean commentator cheered loudly for his country’s top star.

But his cheers came to an abrupt end.

Because Jiang Dongxun, who had just passed Barnabas, was knocked to the ground by Dean who was returning to defend…

“Ah!” Jiang Dongxun screamed as he fell, signaling to the referee that Dean had committed a foul.

Sure enough, the referee’s whistle sounded and called a foul on Dean for pushing.

However, he did not show any color sign, not even a verbal warning – such physical confrontation is common for Premier League players. According to the rules, Dean’s action is indeed a foul, but it is not a serious foul, and no special care is needed. After the game is stopped, a free kick is given to the Hackney Knights in the front court. Jiang Dongxun screamed miserably, but it was just to get the attention of the referee, not because it was really painful…

Jiang Dongxun rolled over on the ground for a few times before sitting up. He only saw the back of Dean’s head running away. The other party didn’t even come up to pull him up to show his friendship…

He spread his hands and protested against Dean’s unfriendly behavior.

“Ha! Beautiful, Dean!” Zhao Zhou applauded Dean in the live broadcast room.

Immediately afterwards, a viewer gave a car prop as a reward and left a message: “Next time, give me a tougher one!”

※※※

Hackney Knights were awarded a free kick on the wing, almost a short corner.

However, considering the possibility of a counterattack by Tyne and the fact that Hackney Knights players did not have an advantage in heading the ball in front of the goal, Hackney Knights did not pass the ball directly to the front of the goal, but instead made a short pass to reorganize the attack.

After a pass, defensive midfielder Kimba Bello tried to shoot, but Van Ginkel kicked the ball away.

Kang Dong-hoon tried to control the ball and launch a second attack.

But in the process, he was knocked away by Tyne’s midfielder Ramosa.

Kang Dong-hoon lost his position and also lost possession of the ball.

He opened his arms and complained to the referee, but this time the referee ignored him.

The game continues.

The ball has been passed by Ramosa to the retreating Wang Lie.

So Jiang Dongxun gritted his teeth and rushed towards Wang Lie.

When Wang Lie saw him coming, he made a move to pass the ball horizontally. When Jiang Dongxun pounced in front of him, he stepped on the ball with the sole of his shoe and pulled it towards him.

Avoided Kang Dong-hoon’s first pounce.

“This is the duel between Kang Dong-hoon and Wang Lie!” the Korean commentator shouted excitedly.

Both of them are offensive players, and there are not many opportunities for them to talk directly on the court. Therefore, every encounter can make Korean commentators excited, because the result of such a duel can be used to directly see who is stronger and who is weaker.

This is a showdown between the future “No. 1 in Asia” and the current “No. 1 in Asia”!
However, just as the Korean commentator finished his excited shout, he saw Wang Lie push the ball that he had pulled back in front of him out again, and took advantage of the gap between Jiang Dongxun’s legs when he was stealing the ball, and the ball rolled under the crotch of the Korean No. 1 player…

Crotchless!

“Good shot! Beautiful! Hahaha!” Luo Jin cheered and laughed.

To dribble past an opponent is an insult to the player being dribbled past!

He knew that Wang Lie couldn’t really be indifferent to Jiang Dongxun’s likes!

He must be trying hard to defeat Kang Dong-hoon in the competition!
Isn’t this coming!

Jiang Dongxun didn’t expect that this would be the result after he came to Wang Lie with such a threatening attitude.

He was stunned for a moment before he realized that Wang Lie had penetrated his crotch…

At this time, Wang Lie had already bypassed him, caught up with the football, then adjusted and turned around, dribbling the ball towards the front field.

In the club, Wang Lie does not have the problem of who is the core and who controls the ball, as in the national team. Here, he is the core and the ball must be in his hands.

Jiang Dongxun looked at Wang Lie’s back and felt a surge of blood rushing to his head – as a player, he certainly knew what it meant to be penetrated by the opponent…

So he sped up and chased after him, trying to get the football back.

But just when he was about to catch up with Wang Lie and stretched out his hand to pull, Wang Lie, who was close at hand, suddenly made a quick move and kicked the football away!

Jiang Dongxun stretched out his hand but caught nothing, which also destroyed his rhythm and balance, and he almost fell to the ground…

He could only watch Wang Lie break through the middle with the ball, and he no longer had the ability to chase him.

“Wang Lie! Speed ​​up! Attack him! Beautiful!”

Luo Jin was cheering for Wang Lie’s accelerated breakthrough. When he shouted “Break him”, he didn’t mean Wang Lie breaking through Jiang Dongxun.

Wang Lie’s sudden acceleration just now was not to get rid of Jiang Dongxun – although this result was achieved objectively, his subjective purpose was to break through the central defender Monte who was blocking him.

After he successfully broke through Monte with a sudden acceleration, he attracted the Hackney Knights’ defensive attention to the middle, and then passed the ball to Sonny Dean who was inserted into the ribs on the right.

Dean caught up with the ball and shot directly!
Vito fell to the ground and dived sideways, blocking the ball from going out of bounds at the near corner!

“Tyne gets another corner kick! This is Tyne’s third corner kick in this game!”

Without caring about feeling upset about not scoring a goal, Dean turned and ran towards the corner flag area, ready to take the corner kick.

Tyne’s two central defenders came up again to compete for the header.

And Wang Lie naturally also had to grab a spot in front of the goal.

He stood in the front with his arms raised, as if asking Dean to pass the ball to him.

Dean raised his right hand in response.

After the referee blew the whistle, he took a run-up and passed the ball to Van Ginkel who came up to receive him.

“Tactical corner kick!”

Wang Lie, who was originally at the front point, suddenly turned around and ran away as soon as the ball was passed.

The one originally defending him at the front was Hackney Knights midfielder Bello, who was planning to follow him.

As a result, when he saw Dean pass the ball to Van Ginkel and Tyne was going to take a tactical corner kick, he immediately changed his mind and ran towards Van Ginkel who got the ball on the wing to block the angle of his cross – after all, he was the closest Hackney Knights player to Van Ginkel at the front point. If he didn’t go up to block and put pressure on him, the opponent could cross the ball calmly without interference, as calmly as if they were training…

His interference may have really worked. Van Ginkel did not kick the ball directly, but instead kicked the ball with his heel to Dean who came back from behind him.

Dean was already in the corner of the penalty area when he received the ball.

At this time, all the Hackney Knights players in the penalty area ran out of the penalty area, trying to trap the Tyne players in the penalty area into an offside trap.

It is true that some Tyne players who were slow to react were in the offside space behind the Hackney Knights’ defense.

But Dean still passed the ball into the penalty area with his right foot, as if he didn’t care whether his teammates were offside or not…

So was this another poor choice from him on offense?
The football drew an inward arc in the air and headed straight for the back of the goal!

“Dean crosses the ball – to the back post!!”

The Hackney Knights players looked back following the football and saw a dark blue figure appear behind the goal!

It’s Wang Lie!
Someone reflexively raised his arm high, indicating that Wang Lie was offside!

It’s not offside, how could it appear in front of the goal at this time? !
Hackney Knights goalkeeper Rafael Vito watched the football fly towards the back of the goal, so he retreated to the back point, while constantly looking up to observe the movement of the football.

If he thinks the ball may threaten the goal, he will jump up and lift the ball out. If it does not threaten the goal, he will escort the ball out of the baseline.

But when he turned around and saw Wang Lie, he was shocked!
What the hell! Why is he here?!

Wang Lie didn’t notice Vito’s surprised expression. At this moment, he looked up at the flying football, bent his knees, slightly bent his body, lowered his center of gravity, swung his hands back… and then swung them up suddenly!

In the muscles of his calves, thighs, core abdomen, upper arms, back… countless engines were ignited and countless pistons were working frantically, like an awakened steel beast, instantly bursting out with tremendous energy and pushing his body off the ground!
Like a rocket taking off!

He jumped on the spot!
Vito also jumped, but the gap between him and Wang Lie in terms of jumping speed and height was visible to the naked eye!
The only thing he could rely on was the extra length of his arms compared to Wang Lie!
So he punched the football that was flying over their heads!

Wang Lie’s arms were raised to shoulder level, and his strong core strength allowed him to keep his body upright in the air without losing any height. At the same time, he tilted his head slightly, glanced diagonally upward, and locked onto the ball.

The arms swung down suddenly, and at the same time the neck threw the head towards the football!

Bang!
The football changed direction and flew towards the goal!

Vito’s fist also swung, brushing against Wang Lie’s head and hitting the “wake” of the football…

And the football… is already in the goal!

“Wang Lie!!!” Luo Jin shouted excitedly as he watched the football fly into the goal.

“What a great achievement! The game only started for 22 minutes and Wang Lie scored the first goal for Tyne!! This is his tenth goal since joining Tyne!! Awesome goal efficiency! His legend continues!”

(End of this chapter)