Tennis Superstar Djokovic is Shocked! Table Tennis Champion Ma Long Exclaims: This is a Slice Serve!
Agüero felt like he'd scored the goal in a completely daze.
When Tang Long used the White Whale Return, the ball, after landing, didn't rush forward as expected, but instead suddenly bounced back towards him—
Agüero's head was still throbbing with the pain from the elbow strike he received from center-back Dominguez.
But Agüero is Agüero; his reactions are faster Dominguez's.
It was entirely a striker's instinct, acting subconsciously, that allowed him to get ahead of his opponent and charge towards the penalty area with the ball!
After that, getting past the goalkeeper and slotting the ball into the empty net is muscle memory that has been practiced thousands of times in training.
But after the ball went in, Agüero suddenly realized. "Wait, something seems off about Don's pass?"
He didn't celebrate, but stared blankly at Tang Long in the distance, muttering to himself, "How did he pass that ball? The trajectory was too unpredictable."
It's not just Agüero.
The other Manchester City teammates on the field were even more confused!
So much so that even though it was Agüero who scored the goal and equalized the score for the team, everyone involuntarily ran towards Tang Long.
"The White Whale Return! Ha ha, it's the White Whale Return!"
Chivu, sitting on the sidelines, was so excited he kept repeating the same phrase like a broken record.
Chivu has loved reading comics since he was a child, and he accurately described the essence of Tang Long's pass - the ball bouncing back in the opposite direction after landing.
However, the people around him looked at him blankly. They couldn't understand what Chivu was shouting, let alone what this term from the anime "The Prince of Tennis" meant.
At this moment, the giant screens on both sides of the Etihad Stadium began to play back the footage.
The previously noisy fans fell silent, and tens of thousands of people stared intently at the big screen.
The colorful lights of the LED display danced against the gray and gloomy Britain sky.
Borussia Monchengladbach's head coach, Schubert, gradually developed an expression of disbelief on his previously composed face, his eyes widening as if they were about to pop out!
Watching the soccer ball on the big screen, which landed suddenly with a strong backspin and then bounced back strangely, his hand unconsciously gripped the hem of his coat tightly.
"Oh, how is this possible?" he muttered to himself, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.
Having spent so many years playing on the football field, he thought he had seen all kinds of scenes, but what he saw before him was completely beyond his comprehension.
He was secretly amazed. Who was this China player? How could he play such an unconventional game? His carefully laid out defensive tactics were instantly rendered useless!
Shock was also evident on the face of Manchester City manager Guardiola.
Guardiola stood frozen in place, his hands slowly lowering from the position of holding his head, but still remaining stiff.
His eyes were filled with astonishment and admiration, and his mouth remained open for a long time.
"My God, is this really something that can happen in football?"
He felt even more shocked than when he was Bayern's coach two years ago, witnessing Lewandowski score 5 goals in 9 minutes!
As a grandmaster, his understanding of football was ingrained in his very being, but this one kick made him feel as if he had opened a new door to the world of football!
After watching three replays from different angles, especially the last one where the broadcast specifically focused on the moment of the pass, giving a close-up of Tang Long's calf—
Guardiola's previously furrowed brows now completely relaxed, replaced by a delightful surprise at a new discovery in the art of football.
He couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "That passing technique was absolutely brilliant! Tang has given me so many surprises; this player's creativity is simply boundless!"
Behind Guardiola, the Manchester City bench was already in an uproar!
The substitute players jumped up from their seats and rushed to the sidelines.
"That was an outrageous goal!"
Is this still football?
"Tang's pass seems to be controlled by a remote, it actually bounces back!"
Their gasps of surprise rose and fell.
Some players waved their towels excitedly, while others pounded on the seats next to them.
England's youngster Sterling was so excited his face turned red. He tugged at his teammate's shirt and shouted:
"Did you see that? That's Tang! He's a football genius!"
Meanwhile, his national teammate Delph stood frozen in place, his eyes filled with admiration and awe, muttering to himself, "When will I ever have that kind of creativity..."
Tennis superstar Djokovic is sitting at home, leisurely watching the live broadcast of this football match.
In September 2016, Djokovic continued to lead the ATP rankings with 14,040 points, remaining number one in the world!
The Serbia tennis star is also a football fan.
Although his favorite team is AC Milan in Serie A, he also watches Manchester City's games because his compatriot Kolarov plays for the Manchester City.
When he saw Tang Long kick out, his hand trembled, and the scalding hot coffee cup he was holding almost slipped from his grasp!
His eyes widened instantly, and his previously elegant posture became somewhat stiff.
"This... isn't this the White Whale Return?!"
He blurted it out, his face filled with shock and excitement.
As a tennis legend, Djokovic is also familiar with this term from tennis comics, and occasionally tries it out himself during training.
The so-called "White Whale Return" is a tennis player's backhand shot using a smash technique, delivering a sudden, high-spin, lobbed shot. With the help of a slight headwind, the ball leaps into the air, then descends due to gravity after passing the opponent, finally landing in the opponent's backcourt area.
What's most unique is that the ball, upon contact with the ground, spins rapidly and bounces back to the hitter's half of the court, leaving the opponent on the other side of the net with no chance to hit the ball and only able to watch helplessly.
Djokovic is very familiar with all the techniques in his field, but he has never used this move in an official match during his professional career because he doesn't have the courage to try it!
The difficulty of the White Whale Return is extremely high. It requires precise control over the spin of the ball. The ball must have both height and spin. If the landing point and power are not carefully controlled, the opponent at the net will smash it!
Unexpectedly, Djokovic witnessed a similar scene on the football field.
His lips slowly curved upwards, revealing a hint of appreciation, and he secretly admired him:
"Football and tennis seem to have formed a wonderful connection at this moment, haha, sports are all interconnected, I understand that now!"
China, thousands of miles away.
Table tennis superstar Ma Long was snuggled up in his dorm room, secretly watching Manchester City's match on his phone.
In August of that year, Ma Long won two gold medals in the men's singles and men's team events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics!
However, Ma Long also enjoys watching football, and on his very first day back at the club, he took time out of his busy schedule to broadcast the football match live.
When Tang Long kicked that amazing spinning shot, Ma Long jumped right out of bed!
"That slice shot was amazing!"
He couldn't help but shout out, his face full of surprise and admiration.
Table tennis emphasizes precise control and skillful variations of the ball, and Tang Long's control of the soccer ball resonated strongly with Ma Long.
In table tennis, players pay great attention to the spin of the ball. Topspin, backspin, sidespin... From the first serve to the final point, the spin of the table tennis ball is everywhere in the back-and-forth strokes between the two players!
However, although Ma Long plays table tennis, he rarely plays football to avoid unnecessary injuries. He only watches football. But Ma Long also knows that table tennis balls are lighter and smaller. With the advanced technology of the rubber surface of the racket, it is much easier to handle a small table tennis ball than to control a football with your feet.
However, Tang Long's control over the spin of the football with his feet was even better than his control over the ping-pong ball with his paddle!
Tang Long's kick captivated the football crowd and even this superstar from the world of table tennis!
Sports are interconnected; such amazing creativity can be seen in different fields.
Ma Long couldn't help but think to himself, "Sure enough, people with 'dragon' in their names are all amazing at sports!"
"If I have the chance, I definitely want to go to England to see Tang Long play live!"
Tang Long's White Whale Return on the football field completely shattered the mental defenses of his opponents Borussia Monchengladbach.
These Bundesliga players felt that Tang Long, who was playing against them on the field, came from a completely different dimension; his control over the ball far exceeded their comprehension.
After entering the second half with a 1-1 score, Manchester City continued their unstoppable momentum.
Tang Long first assisted substitute Sterling to score, and five minutes later, he received a cross from Sterling in the penalty area and scored again.
Manchester City ultimately came from behind to defeat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 at home, securing a winning start to their UEFA Champions League campaign this season.
Tang Long was unsurprisingly named the player of the match.
In post-match media interviews, all the questions focused on Tang Long's White Whale Return.
However, Tang Long didn't want to discuss the application of technology with these reporters. It would be pointless to explain it to them, because they wouldn't understand it unless they were at his level.
Tang Long simply said:
"This was a comeback victory. We at Manchester City haven't experienced a comeback in a long time because in previous league matches we always scored first and then led all the way. Of course, we hope to stay ahead, but that's impossible on the football field. We also need to learn how to turn adversity into victory."
Guardiola, standing to the side, nodded frequently, his eyes full of admiration.
"That's right! The ability to turn a game around is also a valuable asset for the team, as it helps us to continuously grow."
He had just finished a press conference and passed away. The moment he walked out of the meeting room, he went into the restroom alone and splashed cold water on his bald head.
Looking at my haggard face in the mirror, I couldn't help but sigh, "What a close call today!"
Facing their nemesis Borussia Monchengladbach in the opening stages, they fielded a three-defender formation and nearly failed miserably.
If it weren't for Tang Long's brilliant pass that helped Agüero equalize so early in the first half, Guardiola wouldn't have been confident of winning against Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach, a rival he hadn't beaten in two years, if the score had gone into the second half with 0-1 down!
<The nemesis is no more! Guardiola finally defeats an opponent he hasn't beaten in two years!>
Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach suffers their third consecutive defeat against Manchester City! The Etihad is truly a nightmare for them!
Djokovic: I watched the whole match, and Don's control of the ball shocked me!
Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach manager Schubert protests. "If it weren't for Tang's pass, we should have gotten points against Manchester City!"
Five consecutive wins to start the season! 20 goals scored and only 1 conceded – who can beat this Manchester City?
After the match, all the Britain media outlets praised Manchester City's performance in the UEFA Champions League.
Comparatively, Manchester City's victories in the domestic league may draw some resentment from the media, but their wins in the UEFA Champions League are in a better position, since in European competitions, Manchester City represents the Premier League and the face of the country's top league.
Meanwhile, another UEFA Champions League group stage match was being played at the same time.
Manchester City's arch-rivals, Manchester United, also brought honor to the Premier League.
Their first-round opponent is stronger than Borussia Mönchengladbach; it's Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1 Monchengladbach!
With De Bruyne opening the scoring and Ibrahimovic sealing the victory with a header, Manchester United won 2-1 away from home, securing their first UEFA Champions League win of the season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decisive goal in the 73rd minute sealed the victory for Manchester United. The Sweden striker, disregarding any sentimentality towards his former club, raised his arms and shouted directly at the Paris fans in the stands, drawing boos from the Parc des Princes.
Ibrahimovic's goal also came from an assist by De Bruyne!
Manchester United manager Pellegrini, though outwardly silent, was inwardly quite surprised by De Bruyne's performance in this match.
Because today's De Bruyne has a much stronger desire to attack than ever before!
Although he plays as an attacking midfielder, he frequently roamed inside both of the opponent's penalty areas, creating good space for Bony and Ibrahimovic, while also scoring a long-range shot himself.
To Pellegrini's surprise, in just one week, De Bruyne seemed to have been blessed, becoming more threatening in his handling of the ball in the attacking third than ever before!
His passing accuracy remains impeccable, and his frequent entries into the penalty area create opportunities.
Especially in the final moments, a feint dribbled past two defenders, Kimpembe and Marquinhos. If his final shot hadn't been slightly too central and saved by the goalkeeper, De Bruyne could have scored twice!
At that moment, standing on the pitch at the Parc des Princes, Pellegrini scratched his white hair, feeling a sudden sense of disorientation.
"Hmm? Kevin's playing style today is kind of like Tang's?"
(One more chapter is being written and will be posted around 1 PM)