Gündoğan Was Stunned! The Premier League Had a Player with Such Incredible Footwork!
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Feeling depressed and unhappy, Gündoğan was scrolling through videos of blonde beauties dancing on his phone.
Unexpectedly, he heard a burst of cheers from the fans, which startled him so much that he dropped his phone on the ground with a "thud".
He picked up his phone, its screen shattered, and looked up to see the score had been changed to 1:2.
Just as Gündoğan was wondering when the goal was scored, the replay began to appear on the stadium's big screen.
The replay shows the scene of Tang Long's first one-on-one fight with Guarin.
Tang Long first used a pendulum motion, then pulled the ball with his foot Step Over kick, and completed the series of movements in one smooth motion.
"Oh, you've got some skill with your feet."
However, Gündoğan was still somewhat puzzled.
That dribble was indeed beautiful, but Guarin stood firm and wasn't beaten.
Moreover, this series of feints had absolutely nothing to do with scoring a goal!
Is the Etihad Stadium's broadcast director acting strangely? Where's the goal I want to see?
However, the replay started on the stadium's big screen immediately afterwards.
This replay was quite lengthy, seemingly intentionally so by the director.
After a full 30 seconds, the ball was finally passed low to the ground from Ranocchia's feet and landed at Tang Long's feet.
Seeing Ranocchia pass the ball like that, Gündoğan frowned.
Is this how direct the Premier League is played?
A center-back like that in the middle, making a through pass to the attacking midfielder, would have been intercepted long ago if this were in the Bundesliga.
What Tang Long did next shocked Gündoğan, who gaped open in astonishment!
Tang Long seemingly recklessly dribbled the ball toward Guarin, but in 0.3x slow motion, it was clearly seen that just as Guarin was about to touch the ball, Tang Long flicked his toe, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and the ball easily passed between Guarin's legs!
The subsequent turn was extremely smooth, with the player and the ball gliding past Guarin like the wind.
Despite being so close, the two did not have any physical contact.
"Ah, this... this..."
Before Gündoğan could even express his surprise, he saw Tang Long deliver a precise lob pass, sending the ball into a completely unoccupied area.
Just as the ball was about to fall, a light blue figure suddenly darted out and unleashed a powerful shot!
From dribbling past his opponent to advancing the ball, from the lobbed pass to the final assist for Agüero's goal, this entire sequence of actions was completed in just three or four seconds.
But for Gündoğan in the stands, it was a deeply moving experience!
He slapped his thigh hard, feeling extremely annoyed.
"Oh my, I wish I hadn't been watching the girl dancing on my phone! Such a fantastic series of moves, you really have to see it live to really enjoy it!"
Gündoğan immediately put his phone away and straightened his back.
He dared not be distracted any longer and focused intently on the game.
"I never imagined there would be such a technically gifted player in the Premier League, Tang! I really underestimated you!"
England national team manager Mancini, watching from the stands, was also deeply moved.
Guarin had already pushed himself to the limit with that defensive play.
In the first one-on-one match, Mancini believed that both Alli and Dier would definitely be beaten.
But Guarin did not!
He persisted until the second time.
If Guarin were beside him, Mancini would definitely want to comfort him, "Guarin, it wasn't that you didn't do well in the defense this time, it's just that Don sees right through you!"
Guarin looked up at the video of himself being fooled.
It was played over and over again on the two huge screens at the Etihad Stadium.
Even after Kane had already kicked off for Tottenham Hotspur, the game was still playing on repeat.
Guarin is furious!
So what if I got passed over once?
What's so special about that!
What? Haven't your Manchester City directors seen anyone?!
"Guarin, you can't get the ball from Tang!"
During a scramble for the ball on the wing, a Manchester City fan in the first row of the stadium, only four or five meters away, loudly taunted Guarin.
Guarin glared at him, thinking, "I don't believe it! You all think I can't steal the ball from Tang, but I'm going to try!"
This is Guarin's second weakness, which Tang Long is also well aware of.
Guarin is a very emotional player.
When he plays well, everything goes smoothly for him; his form is absolutely phenomenal, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the world's best midfielder.
However, if things don't go smoothly, they get anxious and lose their temper, and they might make all sorts of bizarre, amateurish football moves, completely detaching themselves from the team's overall offensive and defensive system.
In the 78th minute of the second half, despite Alli closely marking Tang Long, Guarin made a wide flanking maneuver from the left to attack his former teammate.
Alli was startled and pointed to the empty space on the left, shouting, "Where are your men, Guarin? Don't run around like that!"
Guarin yelled at him, "Side attack! Take the ball!"
Tang Long, who was leaning against Alli with his back to him, saw that Guarin was getting anxious and had left his defensive area to come all the way to mess with him. He realized that Guarin had been tricked.
With one hand supporting Alli, he gently flicked the ball with his left foot, sending it soaring over Guarin's head in the opposite direction.
On that side, Kolarov, who was unmarked, had ample time to control the ball before launching a long, rapid forward run.
Guarin on the brakes, like a car that had taken the wrong turn on the highway, and reversed, chasing after Kolarov again.
Disregarding traffic rules can cause accidents, and Guarin's unauthorized departure from his designated area has cost the entire Tottenham Hotspur team dearly.
He dribbled the ball at high speed down the wing, adjusted his angle slightly, and cut towards the center.
Just then, Agüero nimbly pulled out of the penalty area and received a pass from Kolarov before the center-back could close in.
Agüero received the ball, turned and executed the move in one fluid motion. Just as Kolarov's toes touched the offside line, his pass was like a sharp arrow, instantly Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham's seemingly tight defense.
Kolarov sprinted down the wing, chasing after the rolling ball. By the time he arrived, he was already on the left edge of the penalty area.
At that moment, his mind raced, his gaze wavering between a powerful shot and a cross.
In the instant his gaze shifted, he caught a glimpse of a figure darting forward like an arrow, reaching the edge of the penalty area in a flash—
Although he couldn't see who it was, Kolarov instinctively knew deep down that it must be Tang Long's swift forward thrust.
Without hesitation, the Serbia used his dominant left foot, embodying years of honed skill and experience, to deliver a perfectly curved and powerful shot.
The ball didn't land at the edge of the penalty area, but at the penalty spot!
This exquisite pass seemed tailor-made for Tang Long, giving him ample and perfect space to sprint and unleash his power.
As a player making a late run into the box, his sudden arrival instantly disrupted Tottenham Hotspur's already torn and fragmented defense.
Vertonghen's eyes widened. Before his body could even react by jumping, he felt a dark shadow sweep over his head like a dark cloud pressing down!
He looked up in astonishment and saw Tang Long soaring into the sky like a hawk, his outstretched arms like the wings of a hawk, meeting the whistling ball as it came hurtling towards him, his forehead slamming into the ball with tremendous force!
Even as Kolarov crossed France Lloris, France goalkeeper Lloris was already on high alert, ready for a header.
But to his utter surprise, Tang Long's header bounced off the ground!
A powerful header slammed into the goal, the ball bouncing sharply on the edge of the penalty area. This sudden change in trajectory completely disrupted Lloris's rhythm for judging the ball's trajectory, and he instinctively swung his hand, touching the air.
2:2!
Thanks to Tang Long's powerful header from late run into the box, Manchester City finally equalized before the 80th minute!
Because it was a rear-entry sprint and jump, Tang Long's jump was incredibly high!
He watched the ball bounce and crash into the net from mid-air, but his feet hadn't even touched the ground yet;
After he landed, he first felt a tingling sensation in the soles of his feet, and then the cheers of the fans coming from all directions made his eardrums deafen!
"Beep beep beep--"
"Beep beep beep beep--"
Suddenly, a loud bugle call rang out from the stands!
Tang Long looked up, and his sharp eyes actually spotted the middle-aged man blowing the bugle among the tens of thousands of cheering Manchester City fans.
It's him again!
He jumped onto the chair, puffed out his cheeks, and blew the bugle!
This professor from the University of Manchester's music department had once given a resounding bugle call during Manchester City's UEFA Champions League group stage match against Juventus, which ignited the Blue Moon's counter-attack momentum in Turin, making Tang Long remember him completely.
In the first match of the new year 2016, he once again brought his bugle to Etihad.
Counterattack!
Charge!
Spurred on by the bugle call, Tang Long suddenly started, pushing aside his teammates who had gathered to celebrate, snatched the ball from Tottenham Hotspur's net, and sprinted back to the center circle with the passion of a 100-meter dash, slamming the ball heavily to the ground.
Snap!
The impact was so forceful that a small dent was created in the white center dot, sending grass clippings flying everywhere!
"Hurry up! I don't want to lose the first game of the new year!"
(One more chapter, to be posted around 1 PM)