Chapter Summaries

Tang Ye helped China overturn South Korea’s lead with a 2:1 first-half advantage, though the referee disallowed his long-range strike and he received a yellow card. At halftime, Massimo Maddaloni planned further attacks and a possible shadow-striker test while the team checked a cut on Tang Ye’s foot.

• Tang Ye won the ball with Wu Xi and scored from long range, but the referee disallowed the goal for an earlier attacking foul.
• Kim Min-jae scored from a corner to put South Korea ahead 1:0.
• Tang Ye crossed for Zhang Yuning to head in China’s equalizer.
• Tang Ye combined with Wu Lei and Zhang Xizhe before his shot hit the post, and Yu Hanchao headed in the rebound to put China ahead 2:1.
• Tang Ye made two defensive tackles and received a yellow card as China protected its lead.
• At halftime, Massimo Maddaloni discussed South Korea’s corner routines and China’s second-half plans, while the team doctor examined a cut on Tang Ye’s foot.

China beat South Korea 3:2 after Wu Lei scored from Tang Ye’s through ball, securing three wins from three group matches and first place in the group. The team celebrated its advance to the knockout stage, while the coaching staff abandoned its late experiment with Tang Ye as a shadow striker.

• Tang Ye broke South Korea’s press and set up Wu Lei to score China’s second goal in the 53rd minute.
• Zheng Zhi received a yellow card for stopping Son Heung-min’s counterattack, then helped China withstand South Korea’s dangerous free kick and follow-up shots.
• At the 75th minute, Lippi sent Hao Junmin on and moved Tang Ye into a shadow striker role, but Tang Ye’s shot went over the bar.
• Son Heung-min scored in the 83rd minute to cut China’s lead to 3:2, prompting Lippi to send Tang Ye back to midfield.
• China held on to win 3:2 and advance as group leaders with nine points, and Tang Ye celebrated with his teammates and the fans.

After China completed a perfect group stage, Tang Ye received an endurance boost while Lippi decided to abandon the shadow striker system for the knockout rounds. Meanwhile, a leaked Manchester City dressing-room video showed Guardiola urging his players to chase Manchester United, who then lost to Brighton and surrendered their Premier League lead.

• China celebrated its 3–2 win over South Korea and prepared to face Thailand in the Round of 16.
• Tang Ye opened an Everton Chest and received Li Tie's Endurance Boost Template, raising his endurance from 76 to 77.
• Tang Zhengxiong said he was returning to China to retrieve something important and promised to return before the quarterfinals.
• Lippi decided Tang Ye should play in midfield and abandoned the shadow striker system because it weakened the team's defense against strong opponents.
• Sky Sports released a secretly filmed video of Pep Guardiola telling Manchester City to keep winning and wait for Manchester United to slip.
• Manchester United lost 1–3 at home to Brighton in the 23rd league round, suffering their first league defeat of the season.

Tang Ye led China past Thailand 3–0 in the AFC Asian Cup Round of 16, scoring twice despite missing a penalty, and helped the team reach the quarterfinals. The chapter ended with him checking the Premier League table and seeing Manchester City had drawn level with Manchester United on points.

• Before China’s match, Erik ten Hag said Manchester City’s lead would be temporary and claimed he hoped Tang Ye would do well in the AFC Asian Cup.
• Tang Ye watched Manchester City’s lineup before kickoff, then led his teammates away when Thailand’s players and fans knelt for King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
• Tang Ye opened the scoring in the ninth minute, missed a penalty, and then assisted Gao Lin’s goal to give China a 2–0 halftime lead.
• Tang Ye scored his second goal after the break, and China beat Thailand 3–0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
• Tang Ye checked the Premier League standings after the match and saw Manchester City and Manchester United tied on 60 points.

China prepared to face Iran in the AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals as Lippi planned to move Tang Ye into defensive midfield if needed. China changed to a 4-3-3 and began the match against Iran, which remained underway.

• Tang Ye promised Manchester United fans he would return after the Asian Cup, while Manchester City took the Premier League lead on goal difference.
• Wu Lei warned Tang Ye that China’s winning streak and emphatic results had raised expectations ahead of the knockout rounds.
• Tang Ye reviewed midfield highlights as he prepared for Lippi’s counterattacking plan, which relied on him playing defensive midfield and passing forward to Wu Lei.
• Tang Ye and Lippi discussed Iran’s strength and agreed that Tang Ye could move into defensive midfield if China needed it.
• China started the quarterfinal against Iran in a 4-3-3, and Tang Ye’s early long pass toward Gao Lin was not controlled.

China fell behind to Iran after Yan Junling conceded Taremi’s shot, but Tang Ye equalized directly from a corner and then scored a Rabona to put China ahead. The chapter ended with China leading Iran late in the first half.

• Tang Ye countered Iran’s possession-containment tactic, helping China create chances while Iran crowded him with defenders.
• Taremi scored for Iran after Yan Junling failed to stop his low shot, putting China behind.
• Tang Ye’s long pass launched a counterattack, and he then scored directly from a corner to equalize.
• Tang Ye and Wu Lei combined in a quick attack before Tang Ye beat a defender with a Rabona shot to give China the lead.

China took a 2–1 lead over Iran, but Feng Xiaoting’s red card left the team a man down before halftime. Lippi reshaped the formation, and Tang Ye later sent a 64.6-meter through ball to Wu Lei for a 3–1 lead.

• Tang Ye scored to put China ahead 2–1, but Feng Xiaoting was sent off for denying Azmoun a one-on-one chance near the end of the first half.
• In the locker room, Lippi planned a 4-3-2 formation, moved Tang Ye to defensive midfield, and brought on Zheng Zhi as China prepared to defend with ten players.
• Iran pressed after the restart, while Tang Ye battled through midfield and China’s defense cleared repeated attacks.
• Tang Ye drove forward after a sliding tackle and played a curving 64.6-meter ground pass that reached Wu Lei.
• Wu Lei scored to make it 3–1, and China celebrated its advantage despite being a man down.

Tang Ye helped China defeat Iran 4-1 and advance to the AFC Asian Cup semifinals, giving Zheng Zhi the penalty that sealed the win. As China prepared to face Japan, news revealed that Tang Ye’s great-grandfather, Tang Xianmin, had been a famed general in the War of Resistance.

• Yan Junling made a close-range save as China protected its lead against Iran.
• Tang Ye won a penalty with a shot that struck an Iranian defender’s outstretched hand, then gave the kick to Zheng Zhi.
• Zheng Zhi scored from the penalty spot, and China beat Iran 4-1 to reach the semifinals.
• Tang Ye received his fifth MVP award of the tournament and said China would try to beat its semifinal opponent.
• Japan beat Vietnam 2-0 to set up a semifinal against China.
• A report revealed that Tang Ye’s great-grandfather, Tang Xianmin, had been a famed general of the War of Resistance.

Tang Ye’s father drew worldwide attention by bringing a portrait of their heroic ancestor to the China–Japan semifinal, while Tang Ye used a Hero-version Talent Booster to raise his passing talent to Transcendent and Saintly (Pseudo-Saint). As the semifinal approached, Lippi prepared Tang Ye to start at defensive midfield, and China announced a five-man defense.

• Tang Zhengxiong told reporters he would bring his ancestor’s portrait to the stadium and urged China’s players to honor their family legacy against Japan.
• News coverage turned the portrait and the China–Japan semifinal into a major international story.
• Lippi regretted that China had not started training camp sooner and worried that the team’s defensive-midfield tactics were not ready for Japan.
• Tang Ye opened his Hero-version Miracle Chest and used its booster to raise his Astonishing passing talent to Transcendent and Saintly (Pseudo-Saint).
• Lippi assigned Tang Ye to start at defensive midfield, and the team practiced against Japan’s quick short-passing style with Feng Xiaoting as a training partner.
• Lippi faced reporters before the semifinal, and China later announced a starting lineup led by Tang Ye in a five-man defense.

Tang Ye dreamed that his great-grandfather Tang Xianmin urged him to fight the Japanese, then woke in the locker room before China’s Asian Cup semifinal against Japan. After the match began, China defended under pressure, lost goalkeeper Yan Junling to injury, and Tang Ye helped launch a promising counterattack.

• Tang Ye dreamed that Tang Xianmin gave him a pistol, told him to flee while he drew the Japanese soldiers away, and ordered him to honor his grave if he did not return.
• Wu Lei and the China team woke Tang Ye in the locker room, where a doctor examined him and found nothing wrong; Tang Ye remembered the dream as Lippi reviewed the defensive plan.
• Tang Ye received a mission to win the AFC Asian Cup in exchange for an inheritance from an ancestor, then joined China and Japan for the national anthems and kickoff.
• Japan attacked down the flanks, and Yan Junling was injured when Yuya Osako’s shot struck his eyebrow; China replaced him with Wang Dalei.
• Tang Ye helped China defend Japan’s attacks, tackled Wataru Endo, and started a counterattack with a long pass to Wu Lei.
• Wu Lei passed to Gao Lin as Tang Ye ran into space to receive the return ball, then Tang Ye raised his right leg to shoot.

Tang Ye scored from a free kick to give China national football team the lead against Japan, but Yuya Osako equalized and Gaku Shibasaki put Japan ahead before halftime. China national football team went into the break trailing 1:2 as Tang Ye urged his teammates to defend better and play with more conviction.

• Tang Ye argued with Japan's players after Zhang Linpeng blocked Takumi Minamino's volley, and the referee ruled against a penalty after checking VAR.
• Tang Ye dribbled forward, won an attacking free kick, and scored with a knuckleball to put China national football team ahead 1:0.
• Yuya Osako equalized for Japan after Takumi Minamino's cross passed through China's defense.
• Wang Dalei saved Yuya Osako's shot, but China national football team struggled to create chances as Japan kept attacking.
• Gaku Shibasaki scored after Takumi Minamino and Yuya Osako combined, giving Japan a 2:1 lead before halftime.
• Tang Ye criticized Shi Ke and Hao Junmin and told his teammates to stay focused and improve their defending.

China trailed Japan 1–2 in the Asian Cup semifinal as Tang Ye drove the team’s second-half attack, but Wang Dalei’s saves and a missed free kick kept them behind. The chapter ended with Tang Ye preparing to take China’s fifth direct free kick after VAR confirmed Takehiro Tomiyasu’s handball had occurred outside the penalty area.

• At halftime, Lippi discussed China’s failure to stop Japan’s attacks down the flanks, and Tang Ye suggested he could no longer stay wide.
• Tang Ye launched a second-half attack down the right and crossed for Gao Lin, whose header was saved, before Wang Dalei denied Takumi Minamino at the other end.
• Wataru Endo left the field injured after colliding with Tang Ye, and Hajime Moriyasu sent on Sei Muroya as Japan shifted toward defending its lead.
• Tang Ye’s fourth direct free kick narrowly missed the goal, while Japan continued to threaten China’s defense.
• After a China counterattack, Tang Ye’s shot struck Takehiro Tomiyasu’s arm; VAR confirmed the handball was outside the box, and the referee awarded China a direct free kick instead of a penalty.
• Zheng Zhi encouraged Tang Ye, who stood beside Hao Junmin to prepare for China’s fifth direct free kick.

Tang Ye’s second direct free kick forced China and Japan into extra time, where Takumi Minamino scored to put Japan ahead 3:2. Tang Ye then took another free kick from a difficult angle, and the chapter ended as his curling shot flew toward the top-right corner.

• Tang Ye scored a direct free kick to equalize at 2:2, and China’s defenders held off Japan’s attacks until regular time ended.
• Lippi prepared China for extra time while Maya Yoshida rallied Japan’s dispirited players in the locker room.
• Takumi Minamino entered a strange, vivid state and scored a long-range goal in the 98th minute to give Japan a 3:2 lead.
• Lippi replaced Hao Junmin with Wei Shihao and moved Tang Ye into attack as China chased an equalizer.
• Tang Ye chose to shoot directly from a difficult free-kick position, and his curling shot bent toward the top-right corner of Japan’s goal.

Tang Ye completed a hat trick with a direct free kick to bring China level with Japan, then scored the opening penalty as China won the shootout and advanced to the AFC Asian Cup final. Exhausted but triumphant, Tang Ye celebrated with his teammates as Japan’s players struggled to accept the defeat.

• Tang Ye scored a direct free-kick hat trick to make it 3–3, and Lippi told Massimo Maddaloni to prepare to win the title.
• Tang Ye and his teammates defended through the end of extra time, and the match went to a penalty shootout.
• Tang Ye volunteered to take China’s first penalty and scored against Shuichi Gonda.
• Wu Lei missed China’s second penalty, but Gao Lin and Zhang Linpeng scored while Wang Dalei saved attempts from Maya Yoshida and Takumi Minamino.
• Wu Xi scored China’s fifth penalty, sealing a 4–2 shootout victory and a place in the final.
• China’s players celebrated Tang Ye’s performance as Japan’s players were left stunned by their loss.

Tang Ye and China defeated Japan in a penalty shootout to reach the AFC Asian Cup final, prompting Lippi to announce that the team now planned to win the title. The players celebrated their historic victory, but Lippi lay awake worrying about how to prepare for likely final opponent Qatar.

• Tang Ye celebrated China’s 4–2 shootout win over Japan as Chinese players cheered, smashed through the locker-room door, and sang together.
• Zheng Zhi thanked his teammates and reflected on how his long-held dream of defeating Japan and reaching an Asian Cup final had once seemed impossible.
• Lippi told reporters China had changed its plans and was preparing to win the title.
• Tang Ye signed autographs outside the stadium and gave a fan an all-games SSVIP pass to the final.
• News outlets and Manchester United reacted to Tang Ye’s performance, while Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu called the loss a painful lesson.
• Lippi worried that China had no plan for facing Qatar, the likely final opponent, after only twenty days of training camp.

After China defeated Japan to reach the AFC Asian Cup final, Tang Ye celebrated with his teammates before they prepared to face Qatar. On the day of the final, Tang Ye dreamed that his great-grandfather Tang Xianmin rescued him in a battlefield, then woke on the team bus shortly before the match.

• China defeated Japan in a penalty shootout, and Tang Ye's tournament goal tally reached 13 as the team advanced to the final.
• Tang Ye spent the team's day off riding horses and visiting Ferrari World with his teammates.
• Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates 4:0, and Lippi's coaching staff prepared a defensive 4-4-2 plan for the final.
• Tang Ye calculated that his boosted stamina would be about 88, but worried he could not sustain the defensive workload for 120 minutes.
• On February 1, Tang Ye dreamed that Tang Xianmin rescued him from a battlefield and that he shot Japanese soldiers while helping his great-grandfather escape.
• Tang Ye woke on the bus at the stadium, with four hours remaining before the final against Qatar.

China faced Qatar in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final, with Lippi setting up a cautious defense built around Tang Ye’s counterattacking passes. China created several chances, but the chapter ended with the referee refusing to award a clear-looking penalty after Tang Ye was grabbed in the box, sparking widespread outrage.

• Before kickoff, Zheng Zhi urged China to stay sharp and make history, while Tang Ye took charge of the team’s final cheer.
• China opened in a defensive shape, and Tang Ye organized the defense as Qatar pressed high.
• In the fourth minute, Tang Ye launched a counterattack and forced Saad Al Sheeb to parry his long-range shot before China’s corner came to nothing.
• Lippi tightened China’s defense as Qatar created repeated threats, and Tang Ye cleared a corner before carrying the ball forward to start another counterattack.
• Tang Ye entered the penalty area and was grabbed by a Qatar defender as he prepared to shoot, but the referee refused to award a penalty or review VAR.
• China’s players protested after defending Qatar’s ensuing attack, while replays showed marks on Tang Ye’s neck and the incident drew condemnation online.

China and Qatar remained level through a tense Asian Cup final, with Wang Dalei saving Dele Alli’s controversial penalty and the referee repeatedly denying China’s appeals. After Tang Ye was knocked out over the touchline, he took a fan’s five-dollar bill and tucked it into the referee’s pocket.

• Qatar pinned China back, but Wang Dalei saved Dele Alli’s disputed first-half penalty and China cleared the rebound.
• Tang Ye and Wu Lei complained about the officiating at halftime after Tang Ye had been fouled repeatedly.
• Tang Ye led a quick second-half attack, but his shot was blocked and the referee waved away China’s appeal when Tang Ye went down in the box.
• Lippi prepared Hao and Gao Lin as China struggled to break through, while Akram Afif received a yellow card for fouling Tang Ye.
• A Qatar defender barged Tang Ye over the touchline during a counterattack, and the referee gave Qatar possession instead of a foul.
• Tang Ye took a fan’s five-dollar bill and stuffed it into the referee’s pocket.

Tang Ye scored the decisive goal as China took a 1:0 lead over Qatar in the AFC Asian Cup final. After surviving Qatar’s late attacks and four minutes of stoppage time, China won the match and celebrated its first Asian Cup title.

• Tang Ye showed the referee five dollars and received a yellow card as China prepared to attack.
• Lippi moved Tang Ye into an attacking role, and Tang Ye scored from long range in the 76th minute after a move involving Wu Lei and Yu Hanchao.
• China defended its 1:0 lead as Qatar made substitutions and pressed for an equalizer.
• Tang Ye and Shi Ke blocked Dele Alli’s late shot, while Wang Dalei and Wang Shenchao stopped Qatar’s dangerous chances in stoppage time.
• Tang Ye shielded the ball near the corner flag until the referee ended the match, and China celebrated winning the AFC Asian Cup.

China celebrated its first AFC Asian Cup title as Tang Ye received the Golden Boot and MVP awards after helping the team defeat Qatar. The chapter ended with the championship dominating Chinese television, including a children’s show featuring GGBond.

• Tang Ye returned the fan’s five dollars with a stack of cash supplied by Tang Zhengxiong, then joined his teammates for the medal ceremony.
• Feng Xiaoting lifted the championship trophy first, and Tang Ye passed it to Zheng Zhi before raising it himself.
• Tang Ye brought the fan he had promised onto the pitch and let him lift the trophy on the winners’ podium.
• Tang Ye received the tournament’s Golden Boot for fourteen goals and its MVP award by unanimous vote.
• Lippi praised the team’s performance and compared the players’ determination to Italy’s 2006 World Cup champions.
• Chinese media celebrated the national team’s victory, and television broadcasts culminated in a children’s show featuring GGBond.