Chapter Summaries

Tang Ye and Villarreal faced Ajax in the Europa League semifinal first leg, where Ajax’s relentless pressing gave them a two-goal lead. Tang Ye scored just before halftime to make it 2:1, leaving Villarreal with a chance to turn the match around.

• Tang Ye discussed Villarreal’s May schedule with his teammates and told Rodri that he would return to China after the season for national-team duty and gaokao preparation.
• Escribá’s Villarreal traveled to Amsterdam to face Ajax, whose high press kept Tang Ye largely out of the game.
• Bertrand Traoré scored in the 17th minute after Ajax attacked down the flank, and the referee allowed the goal to stand despite Villarreal’s protests.
• Bertrand Traoré struck again in the 31st minute to put Ajax ahead 2:0.
• Tang Ye found more space as Ajax’s forwards tired, then beat Matthijs de Ligt and scored from outside the box in the 42nd minute, bringing the score to 2:1 at halftime.

Tang Ye helped Villarreal recover from a 0-2 deficit to beat Ajax 5-2 in the Europa League semifinal first leg, recording three assists before being substituted. After the match, he said he would rather face Celta than Manchester United in the final, though Villarreal had not yet qualified.

• Tang Ye and Haller discussed his first-half goal before Escribá explained how Villarreal would attack more in the second half.
• Tang Ye set up Rodri to equalize, then scored after his header rebounded off the post to give Villarreal the lead.
• Tang Ye crossed for Costa to score Villarreal’s fourth, then helped Musacchio score their fifth for a 5-2 lead.
• Escribá substituted Tang Ye, and Asenjo stopped Ajax’s late shots as Villarreal secured the win.
• At the press conference, Tang Ye said Celta would be easier to face than Manchester United and deferred transfer questions until after the season.
• Fans speculated about a Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United, while Chinese supporters worried about Tang Ye facing Erik ten Hag.

Villarreal prepared to face Barcelona as Tang Ye received his third consecutive Player of the Month award, and Escribá urged his players to use Barcelona’s greater pressure as motivation. Barcelona pressed early and took the lead when Lionel Messi scored in the first half.

• Tang Ye learned he had won his third Player of the Month award and said Villarreal needed to beat Barcelona so he could collect the trophy after a win.
• Escribá told Villarreal’s players that Barcelona faced more pressure because a loss would cost them second place in the league.
• Tang Ye and Villarreal arrived at Montjuïc Stadium, where Barcelona supporters welcomed Tang Ye and asked him to join their club.
• Barcelona pressed Villarreal intensely, and Tang Ye blocked Lionel Messi’s shot after Asenjo saved Busquets’s header.
• Tang Ye launched a long pass to Sansone, whose counterattacking shot went wide.
• Busquets pierced Villarreal’s compact defense with a through ball, and Lionel Messi scored to give Barcelona a 1–0 lead.

Villarreal changed to a 5-3-2 after trailing Barcelona 1-0 at halftime, and Tang Ye assisted Haller's equalizer before helping set up Costa's go-ahead goal. Villarreal led 2-1 late in the match, putting them ahead of Barcelona in the league standings if they held on.

• Messi scored from Busquets's through ball to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead, and Villarreal went into halftime trailing.
• Tang Ye suggested a 5-3-2 formation, and Escribá adopted it while bringing on a substitute for Sansone.
• Asenjo launched a counterattack, and Tang Ye's bouncing cross let Haller score the equalizer.
• Tang Ye's shot was blocked by Piqué, but Villarreal regained momentum and earned a set piece in Barcelona's attacking third.
• Tang Ye played the set piece to Costa at the far post, and Costa scored to put Villarreal ahead 2-1.
• Benzema posted a photo of himself watching the match with his family and expressed support for Villarreal.

Tang Ye helped Villarreal defeat Barcelona 2:1, lifting them above Barcelona into second place in La Liga and earning a Barcelona Legendary Chest. After opening it, he activated Hazard's Sacrificial Ball-Shielding Template and raised his overall rating to 82, while Villarreal prepared for three remaining matches.

• Tang Ye tracked Neymar, won the ball, and helped Villarreal hold on to a 2:1 victory over Barcelona, pushing Barcelona into third place in the standings.
• Tang Ye received a Barcelona Legendary Chest, and Escribá told reporters Villarreal could challenge for the La Liga title if he managed the team for another season.
• Tang Ye and his teammates reviewed their remaining fixtures in the group chat, including the Europa League semifinal against Ajax and their final two league matches.
• Tang Ye opened the chest and obtained the Cruyff Baseline Turn Template, but his attributes did not meet its requirements.
• Tang Ye's ball control increased to 83, activating Hazard's Sacrificial Ball-Shielding Template and raising his overall rating to 82.

Tang Ye and Escribá reflected on the season and promised to win another trophy before Villarreal faced Ajax in the Europa League semifinal second leg. Villarreal advanced to the final with a 7:3 aggregate victory, and Tang Ye celebrated the chance to keep playing with his teammates before Manchester United emerged as their final opponent.

• Tang Ye told Escribá he wanted to win more trophies, and Escribá promised they would win one more together.
• Ajax scored through Bertrand Traoré in the first minute, but Tang Ye equalized for Villarreal with a composed finish.
• Villarreal controlled the match, and Bakambu scored in the 70th minute after Tang Ye's cutback cross.
• Villarreal beat Ajax 2:1 and advanced to the Europa League final 7:3 on aggregate, with Tang Ye substituted to a standing ovation.
• Tang Ye wrote “Final, here we come!” as the team posted a group photo, and Manchester United advanced to face Villarreal in the final.

Villarreal drew 0–0 with Deportivo La Coruña and fell to third in La Liga, leaving them one point behind Barcelona before the final round. Escribá rallied the team to pursue second place against Valencia while preparing for the Europa League final against Manchester United.

• Erik ten Hag praised Tang Ye while discussing Manchester United’s upcoming Europa League final against Villarreal, prompting Escribá to suspect he was thinking about the transfer window.
• Villarreal failed to break through Deportivo La Coruña’s defense, and Lux saved late chances from Rodri and Haller to preserve a 0–0 draw.
• Barcelona’s win moved them three points behind Real Madrid and one point ahead of Villarreal, dropping the Yellow Submarine to third.
• Escribá told reporters Villarreal would still try to beat Valencia and challenge Barcelona for second place despite the team’s passive position.
• On the team bus, Tang Ye reassured Rodri, and Escribá gathered the players at the training base to encourage them ahead of their final two matches.
• Haller and Musacchio lifted Escribá as the players shouted “Vamos Villarreal,” and the club released a poster for the away match against Valencia.

Tang Ye scored and assisted as Yellow Submarine led Valencia 2–1 at halftime, while Barcelona’s lead over Eibar threatened Villarreal’s hopes of finishing second. Valencia equalized in the second half, but Eibar earned a late penalty and the chapter ended with Escribá rushing to the touchline after learning Eibar had equalized.

• Tang Ye set up Bakambu’s opening goal, then scored a spectacular long-range strike to put Yellow Submarine 2–0 ahead.
• Zaza scored for Valencia just before halftime, making it 2–1 as Barcelona led Eibar 3–2.
• Escribá took Tang Ye’s phone and urged the team to focus on Valencia rather than Barcelona’s match.
• Nani scored after a through ball from Sánchez and a pass from Gayà, bringing Valencia level at 2–2.
• Eibar’s Kike Garcia won a penalty after Samuel Umtiti brought him down, and Escribá later rushed to the touchline shouting that Barcelona and Eibar were level.

Tang Ye helped Villarreal beat Valencia 4-2, secure second place in La Liga, and finish the season with a club-record league result. The chapter ended with Tang Ye crowned La Liga’s assist king with 34 assists and Haller awarded the Silver Boot, while fans debated whether Tang Ye could win Player of the Season.

• After learning Barcelona had drawn with Eibar, Tang Ye assisted Haller’s goal to put Villarreal ahead 3-2 and into second place in the provisional standings.
• Tang Ye set up Haller again against Valencia, completing his assist hat-trick as Villarreal won 4-2 and finished second with 87 points.
• Bruno, Escribá, and the Villarreal players celebrated with the away supporters, who chanted for Tang Ye to stay.
• Escribá praised Villarreal’s historic season and rated Tang Ye 100 points, while the players began celebrating their Copa del Rey win and second-place finish.
• Villarreal announced that Tang Ye had won the La Liga Assist King award with 34 assists and Haller had earned the Silver Boot.
• Dongqiudi fans debated Tang Ye’s chances of winning Player of the Season against Lionel Messi, citing Tang Ye’s La Liga record for single-season assists.

After Villarreal finished second in La Liga, Tang Ye trained ahead of the Europa League final and watched Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag prepare for the same showdown. The Yellow Submarine arrived at Friends Arena, where Tang Ye saw the match poster and heard Manchester United’s supporters welcoming their team.

• Tang Ye discussed his chances of winning La Liga Player of the Season with Rodri and joked with his teammates about who was strongest in Villarreal’s squad.
• Erik ten Hag kept his position at Manchester United after the club secured fourth place and said the team needed to aim higher.
• Tang Ye improved his Heading to 50 during training, and Haller thanked him for the assist that helped him win the Silver Boot.
• Tang Ye told Bruno that Villarreal would win the Europa League final, then reflected that either he or Erik ten Hag would emerge victorious.
• Tang Ye and the Villarreal players reached Friends Arena and saw a poster showing Tang Ye facing Erik ten Hag before Manchester United’s supporters roared outside.

Villarreal faced Manchester United in the Europa League final, where Anthony Martial gave Manchester United an early lead. Tang Ye won Villarreal a penalty, but David de Gea saved Haller’s shot and Sansone’s rebound, leaving Villarreal still trailing.

• Before the final, Erik ten Hag praised Tang Ye’s season and said he deserved a Europa League title, but not this one.
• Erik ten Hag swiped gum from Tang Ye’s pocket as the teams entered the pitch, then Manchester United began the match by attacking down Rashford’s flank.
• Rashford threatened early, and Anthony Martial scored in the eighteenth minute after combining with Rashford on a rapid counterattack to put Manchester United ahead 1-0.
• Tang Ye stole the ball from Mkhitaryan and helped Villarreal launch a counterattack, then drove into the penalty area and was kicked by Smalling, winning a penalty.
• David de Gea saved Haller’s penalty and then stopped Sansone’s rebound, preserving Manchester United’s lead.

Villarreal fell behind Manchester United 2–0 in the Europa League final after Haller missed a penalty and Rashford scored, but Escribá gave Tang Ye freedom to roam. Tang Ye scored to spark a comeback, then set up Haller for a late equalizer, leaving the final poised for its closing moments.

• Haller missed a penalty won by Tang Ye, and Manchester United took control of the match.
• Valencia crossed for Rashford, who scored in the 34th minute to put Manchester United ahead 2–0.
• Escribá recognized that Ten Hag’s tactics focused on restricting Tang Ye and sent him a note giving him a free role across the pitch.
• Tang Ye scored from a corner to cut Villarreal’s deficit to 2–1, then drove the team’s attack as Manchester United came under pressure.
• In the 90th minute, Tang Ye beat Chris Smalling and crossed toward the penalty spot, where Haller scored to make it 2–2.

Yellow Submarine forced extra time against Manchester United after Tang Ye assisted Haller's late equalizer, then endured an apparent attempt to distract Tang Ye with English listening-test audio. With the match still level and Tang Ye exhausted, he chose to take a late direct free kick and left the outcome unresolved.

• Tang Ye assisted Haller's stoppage-time equalizer, making it 2-2 and sending the Europa League final into extra time.
• Erik ten Hag's supporters played English listening-test audio through loudspeakers, distracting Tang Ye before security moved to confiscate them.
• Tang Ye refocused, and Cheryshev's cross led to a Haller header that David de Gea tipped over the bar.
• As both teams tired in extra time, Tang Ye won the ball, helped start an attack, and then drew a free kick when Chris Smalling brought Haller down.
• Tang Ye decided to take the free kick himself instead of leaving it to Bruno, then looked toward Erik ten Hag and murmured, "Sorry, Mr. Erik..."

Tang Ye scored a direct free kick in extra time to lead Villarreal to a 3–2 Europa League final victory over Manchester United, then celebrated the club’s first title and collected the Final MVP and Golden Boot awards. After the celebrations, Erik ten Hag realized Villarreal had someone like Tang Ye to rescue them, while he did not.

• Tang Ye scored a knuckleball free kick past David de Gea to put Villarreal ahead 3–2, and Escribá substituted him off in the 116th minute.
• Villarreal held on to defeat Manchester United, and Tang Ye celebrated the club’s first Europa League title with his teammates and fans.
• Tang Ye received the Final MVP trophy and Europa League Golden Boot after scoring twelve goals in the competition.
• Bruno thanked Tang Ye for helping Villarreal win two trophies after eleven years without one, and Tang Ye thanked Bruno in return.
• Erik ten Hag complained that Manchester United had lost despite leading 2–0, then realized Tang Ye had rescued Villarreal and angrily punched a wall.

After leading Villarreal to the Europa League title, Tang Ye won the tournament’s Player of the Season award and faced growing speculation about his next club. As his transfer remained unsettled, he learned Neymar might leave Barcelona and that his own destination could affect Neymar’s and Ousmane Dembélé’s moves.

• Erik ten Hag told reporters he had lost to himself because he had trained Tom, who nearly led Villarreal to victory over Manchester United.
• Tang Ye celebrated the Europa League Golden Boot with his teammates, then said he did not yet know whether he would stay at Villarreal.
• UEFA named Tang Ye the Europa League Player of the Season and announced an investigation into unidentified Chinese audio heard during the final, with leads pointing to Erik ten Hag.
• Erik ten Hag laughed at Tang Ye’s online label, “seemingly a midfielder,” before Escribá took Tang Ye away to help Haller find his forgotten trophy.
• Utrecht chairman Karlhoff told Tang Ye not to rush into a Barcelona transfer, while Neymar said Paris Saint-Germain had approached him and that his decision depended on Tang Ye’s destination.
• China announced Tang Ye’s call-up for the national team’s match against Syria, and LaLiga named him its 2016–17 Player of the Season.

Tang Ye won La Liga Player of the Season after leading Villarreal to two trophies, while Barcelona and Villarreal both showed interest in signing him. As Tang Ye left for China to join the national team, Barcelona prepared to pursue him amid reports that his transfer could cost €150 million.

• La Liga named Tang Ye Player of the Season, citing his influence on Villarreal, and Tang Ye accepted the award beside Lionel Messi.
• Messi praised Tang Ye and urged him to join Barcelona, while Tang Ye exchanged contact information with him and considered the move.
• Escribá asked Tang Ye to stay at Villarreal, and Tang Ye learned the club might be able to make an offer to Utrecht before his contract expired.
• Villarreal paid Utrecht an additional €3 million after winning the Europa League, bringing Tang Ye's loan fees to €9 million.
• Bruno and Musacchio saw Tang Ye off as he left for the airport and prepared to return to China for national-team duty.
• Reports said Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde and Messi wanted Tang Ye, but Manchester United's involvement could push the transfer fee to €150 million.

Tang Ye returned to China after Villarreal’s Europa League triumph, upgraded his physicality and reset Antony’s Ultimate Spin into Busquets’s “V” Ball Drag. He joined the national team’s preparations for the Syria match, then left training to take the gaokao, where he encountered an exam question about his Copa del Rey win.

• Tang Ye celebrated his La Liga Team of the Season selection, upgraded Ronaldo’s Chicken Breast with 500 Comeback Points, and reset Antony’s Ultimate Spin into Busquets’s “V” Ball Drag without losing his base attributes.
• Tang Ye rejoined the national team in Langfang, greeted his teammates, and impressed Lippi and Massimo Maddaloni during a passing drill with Wu Lei.
• Tang Ye arrived in Guangzhou with the squad and showed fans his Europa League Golden Boot while posing for photos.
• Lippi asked where Tang Ye was during a tactical meeting, and Zhang Yuning explained that Tang Ye had gone to take the gaokao.
• Tang Ye began the mathematics exam, found a question featuring his Copa del Rey victory, and chose the answer he believed matched the trophy’s weight.

Tang Ye finished his college entrance mathematics exam early, discussed a possible transfer and endorsement with Boer, and joined China’s national team for its qualifier against Syria. He assisted Gao Lin’s opening goal, but Syria launched a dangerous attack in the 28th minute.

• Tang Ye left the mathematics exam early and told a reporter that he had solved one question in half a minute before running off to prepare for a football match.
• Tang Ye told Wang Dalei and Feng Xiaoting that he was unsure how he had done on the exam, then spoke with Boer about Manchester United and Barcelona pursuing him and a Trek endorsement meeting planned for June 20.
• Lippi named Tang Ye in China’s 4-2-3-1 starting lineup against Syria, and Tang Ye told Gao Lin to make his runs without hesitation.
• Tang Ye created an early chance for Gao Lin with a cutback, but Syria’s goalkeeper gathered the ball before Gao Lin could reach it.
• Tang Ye sent a curved through ball into the penalty area, and Gao Lin scored in the 24th minute to put China ahead 1–0.
• Youssef drove forward for Syria in the 28th minute and passed to Mardikyan, who entered the penalty area and shot against Feng Xiaoting’s defense.

China defeated Syria 4:1 away from home, with Tang Ye assisting three goals and helping the team secure its third consecutive victory. The players celebrated with Chinese supporters, who believed qualification was all but assured.

• Saleh scored for Syria in the 32nd minute, but Tang Ye helped China regain the lead by setting up Wu Xi and Gao Lin before halftime.
• Tang Ye advised Wu Lei on positioning and defensive tracking as China returned for the second half.
• Tang Ye headed Alma's punched clearance toward Wu Lei, who scored to put China ahead 4:1 and complete Tang Ye's assist hat trick.
• Lippi praised Tang Ye's ability to direct the team's rhythm, and China finished the match with a 4:1 victory.
• Tang Ye and his teammates celebrated beneath the away stand while Chinese fans and reporters reacted to the win and predicted qualification was secure.

After China defeated Syria, Tang Ye collected the March Player of the Month trophy and learned Zhang Yuning would head to West Brom before going on loan to the Bundesliga. Tang Ye received 9,600 Comeback Points, upgraded several training items, and agreed to help his father’s amateur team, Cute Dragon, face Kabi, where his teammates discovered Tang Ye had scored fifteen goals in La Liga.

• Tang Ye collected his March Player of the Month trophy with Zhang Yuning, who told him he would join West Brom and then go on loan to the Bundesliga.
• Tang Ye celebrated China’s three straight qualifying wins as the team leader announced preparations for the crucial matches against Uzbekistan and Qatar.
• Tang Zhengxiong’s Cute Dragon team fell behind Kabi, so Tang Zhengxiong asked Tang Ye to help them in their next match.
• Tang Ye received 9,600 Comeback Points from the season settlement and spent them upgrading Ronaldo’s Broccoli, Hazard’s Tartar Sauce Burger, and Vardy’s Red Bull.
• Tang Ye agreed to play for Cute Dragon and brought Zhang Yuning along for the match against Kabi.
• Brother Zhang recognized Tang Ye and realized Tang Zhengxiong’s son had scored fifteen goals in La Liga.