Fake Shot, Flying Kick, Forcing the Gate! Tang Long's Extreme Performance at Monchengladbach's Home Stadium!
What kind of player is Tang Long?
He's not the tallest, not the fastest, not the most elegant in dribbling, and not the most accurate in shooting. In every single aspect of his game, he wouldn't be considered among the absolute top tier in the world of football.
But whenever he steps onto the field, whenever his cleats leave their mark on the green pitch—
More and more of his opponents felt that he was radiating a powerful energy, an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger.
That's Tang Long's aura!
His every move is closely watched. The occasional glance he gives when he turns his head makes the defenders jump like startled birds, fearing his sudden outburst, because no one knows where he will rush next.
"Fabian, keep a close eye on him, don't let your guard down!"
Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach's defensive midfielder Dahoud, after giving Fabian, rushed towards midfield to support his teammates.
There, Monchengladbach's players were battling it out with Gündoğan, Thiago, Ranocchia, and others. It was a scorching red sea, where the ball flew at the players' feet like a nimble silver snake, weaving through the crowd in a dazzling display.
Fabian is Monchengladbach's right-back, and he was marked by Tang Long in this match.
The tall United States player nervously watched the young man beside him, swallowing hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, a hint of unease in his eyes.
Tang Long stood motionless about three meters away from him, hands on his hips, his eyes fixed on the midfield.
The midfield area had become a fierce battleground, while the left flank where the two players were located was relatively quiet, with the clicking of cameras from the first row of fans easily audible.
Fabian and Tang Long exchanged a glance. Tang Long looked up, and their eyes met. Fabian saw Tang Long smile at him and quickly looked away.
He dared not meet Tang Long's gaze!
Fabian thought nervously, "I can't get too close to him, otherwise he might easily get past me when he starts running; but I can't be too far away from him either, otherwise I'll give him plenty of space to get the ball."
Thinking of this, Fabian felt uneasy, his eyes fixed on the midfield and Tang Long, almost squint.
"Hey!"
Tang Long's booming shout shattered the brief silence, and he took a step forward!
This shout startled Fabian, who rushed forward and charged towards Tang Long.
"Where's the ball?"
Fabian was taken aback, his eyes frantically searching for the ball around him, only to find that it was still firmly under the control of Gündoğan in midfield.
He then realized that Tang Long just now was a feint, a trick to deceive him.
Fabian felt somewhat relieved and let out a long sigh of relief. At this moment, he was completely close to Tang Long.
He forced a stiff smile, trying to appear calm, and grabbed Tang Long's arm, saying with a laugh, "I've got your eye on you, don't wander off."
However, Fabian was unaware that his actions would only plunge him into a deeper predicament.
Often, even after players realize they've been tricked, they still have a chance to correct their defensive mistakes.
But Fabian was different. Although the ball was not at Tang Long's feet, when he was attracted by Tang Long's shouts and got close to him, he had already exposed his biggest weakness to the Manchester City midfielder without reservation.
He has lost the chance to correct his mistakes, and whether he can salvage the situation at this point is completely beyond his control.
Bang!
Ranocchia launched a long pass, and the ball flew towards the left byline!
It really was a matter of "no time to think, no time to react"—the instant Ranocchia made the leg swinging motion, Tang Long, like the Cheetah poised to pounce, launched himself in an instant!
Fabian felt a sudden gust of wind. He had been holding Tang Long's arm, but it was instantly flung away. When he tried to grab it again, there was only air.
Fabian, realizing his defensive mistake, inwardly groaned.
He knew in his heart that he had been too close to Tang Long and had been fooled by Tang Long's feint. Now Tang Long had started again and cleverly took advantage of his slow turning speed.
But just as he realized, Tang Long used a feint with a voiceover to lure him over, and then took advantage of his slow turning speed when he started moving again.
Fabian wanted to give chase, but his cheeks were bulging like a toad's, and his arms were moving so fast they left afterimages. He could only eat the dust kicked up by Tang Long.
"I am here!"
Center -Nico arrived quickly to cover the space behind Fabian.
In this match, the home team, Monchengladbach, played with a three-man defense. The right center-back, Nico, is 20 years old, in his prime, fast, physically fit, and covers a wide area. Mönchengladbach 'Monchengladbach coach, Schubert, placed him there, clearly as a backup plan to help Fabian defend.
The ball flew through the air, and Nico, who considered himself quite fast, originally wanted to have a speed contest with Tang Long;
But Nico slowed down after running three steps.
The reason is simple: Ranocchia's pass was a bit too deep and very fast, the kind of high ball that's rushing forward. Nico judged that the ball would go directly out of bounds, and Tang Long wouldn't be able to catch it.
But Nico was completely wrong!
Although he is the same age as Tang Long, his ability to predict the ball's trajectory is less than one-tenth of Tang Long's.
[The ball is about to go out of bounds, please stop it in the air.]
There was no time to stop the ball after it landed. Just as the ball was about to go out of bounds, Tang Long leaped forward, sending his body horizontally, and kicked the ball with his right foot!
Logically speaking, Tang Long's diving save was made while he was sprinting at high speed, and the ball was quite a distance from his body. If this kicking motion were used to receive a cross and shoot in front of the goal, it would make some sense, but to stop the ball like that is probably a pipe dream.
But Tang Long actually did it!
What happened next left Nico completely dumbfounded.
Just as Tang Long made contact with the football, he suddenly pulled back.
As he pulled back, he flicked his toes upward, and the ball control, inspired by Maradona, instantly deflected the force of the ball. With Tang Long's leg-pulling motion, the ball and Tang Long fell slowly through the air, landing precisely on the narrow baseline, sending up a spray of grass.
The linesman near the corner flag was bent over, his eyes wide as saucers, intently watching the scene.
From his perfect vantage point, he could see clearly that the ball was not out of bounds!
As the ball and Tang Long landed simultaneously, he used the rebound force at the moment of impact to spring up like a spring, leaning his body forward and skillfully carrying the ball towards the Monchengladbach penalty area.
The 50,000 fans at Monchengladbach - Borussia Park, erupted in a collective gasp!
They could hardly believe their eyes. The ball, which looked like it was about to go out of bounds, was actually stopped by Tang Long!
Especially those spectators near the baseline could see it clearly. This incredible ball control move was just like a gymnastic move, leaving them speechless with amazement. Everyone was full of wonder.
"Ah! They actually stopped him!"
"My God, how did Tang stop the ball? Did he stop it with a mid-air kick? That's not scientific!"
"His ball control is absolutely phenomenal!"
"This is amazing! I can't believe my eyes!"
"Don't just stand there, quickly surround him!"
Monchengladbach's goalkeeper let out a shout, signaling his teammates to surround Tang Long.
At that moment, the Switzerland goalkeeper felt like a guardian of a treasure, with the goal behind him being the treasure itself. Tang Long, the thief, had already smelled the gold and was rushing towards him. How could he not be anxious?
But there's no use in rushing!
Fabian had been left behind by Tang Long at lightning speed, puffed out his cheeks, his face flushed, and finally returned to his defensive position, panting heavily.
Nico, who was already guarding the penalty area, quickly pushed out with a tense expression.
One man flanked from the side, while the other met him head-on. The two men acted like two iron gates, trying to keep Tang Long firmly outside the gate guarded by Somo.
Monchengladbach, the two iron gates at the gate were covered in rust, and they were far from being able to imprison Tang Long.
When facing a double-team, the most reasonable way to break through is undoubtedly through the narrow gap between the two players.
Tang Long feinted to the right, startling Nico so much that he involuntarily leaned forward, causing the iron gate, which was almost closed, to open a crack again.
Tang Long reacted quickly, gently lifting the ball and charging towards the gap in the goal with the ball in his arms!
Open the door for me!
Forcefully knocking on the gate!
Fabian was chasing back, was carried by the momentum of his run. When he saw Tang Long charging forward, he knew something was wrong. He quickly accelerated towards Nico, trying to close the gap on Tang Long. However, he failed to close the Tang Long and collided heavily with his teammate Nico.
With a muffled thud, the two men collided head to head, letting out a simultaneous scream of "Ouch!" before being thrown back to their respective sides.
At this point, even if Agüero in the middle lane had an open goal, Tang Long couldn't pass the ball to him.
After all, didn't Alan Shearer remind him that strikers need to be a little selfish?
With a slight sideways movement, Tang Long skillfully widened the angle, and then, his leg muscles tensed, like a fully drawn bowstring, lashing out in a beautiful inward arc!
Whoosh--
A clean shot into the far corner!
Goal!
(One more chapter will be released around 1:30 to 2:00 PM)