Long-Distance Raid Conceals Team Crystallization, Tang Long's Counter-Tactic Scores from Zero Angle!
Ronaldo sat up slightly, staring intently at the replay, and after a brief pause, slowly began to speak.
"Diletta, the secret to this goal is not simple; it bears some resemblance to my former teammate Juninho in the Brazil national team."
Juninho?
Upon hearing the name, Owen was also startled, and his mind instantly replayed his shots like a movie.
Ronaldo continued:
"My fellow Brazil does share some similarities with Tang Long in this regard, but there are also fundamental differences. Everyone knows that Juninho's free kicks are exceptional. As for Tang Long's shot this time, it was a volley that he executed in open play!"
"Tang Long's control over power at the moment of kicking was exquisite. He used just the right amount of power to make the ball fly straight forward without any conventional arc or spin."
"But when it reached the goal, the ball suddenly started to swing erratically! That's the key!"
"This is because when he touches the ball, he applies a force to it instantaneously through the change in the point of contact between his foot and the ball. This force causes the ball to produce a tiny but elusive flight trajectory, and combined with the ball's own speed, it becomes irregularly swaying as it approaches the goal due to the influence of the surrounding air."
"Haha, De Gea faces a ball like that as if he were facing an unpredictable ghost!"
"He originally thought the ball wasn't moving fast and he could easily catch it, but the sudden swing caught him off guard."
"That shot was truly spectacular! It wasn't just a simple combination of power and skill, but an absolute mastery of timing, power, angle, and anticipation of the ball's trajectory in the air."
"He knows exactly how to play the ball in that position to create that special effect. It's not luck; it's pure skill."
Diletta nodded thoughtfully and said, "So, the reason Icardi couldn't score is because he lacked a precise grasp of these factors. Tang Long's ability to complete such a shot in a fierce match is enough to prove that his skill in shooting has reached an extremely high level."
Ronaldo smiled and nodded slightly, leaning back in his chair, his eyes full of admiration for Tang Long.
Icardi was completely lost.
During halftime, Guardiola made some tactical adjustments.
He substituted the diminutive center-back Otamendi, officially moving Ranocchia back to the center-back position, and then brought in Mkhitaryan in midfield.
In this way, Ranocchia could legitimately spend a "pleasant and heartwarming" second half of the season with Icardi.
Pellegrini continued to adhere to the tactic of crossing from the wing, with each cross flying towards Manchester City's penalty area like a howitzer.
However, after being targeted by Ranocchia, Icardi struggled to replicate his lion-like prowess from the first half.
No one in the entire Premier League, or even in the entire Europe football world, understands Icardi as well as Ranocchia, and can keep him completely under his thumb, without giving him any temper.
Between the 50th and 70th minutes of the second half, Manchester United delivered a total of 18 crosses, almost one every minute.
But most of the balls were headed away by Ranocchia, Icardi only managed to get to the ball once, heading it towards the stands, posing no threat to Bravo whatsoever.
One should press on with full force, but the momentum wanes with each attempt, and exhausts it completely with each subsequent effort!
Although Manchester United had the advantage of playing at home in Old Trafford, their inability to break through the defense over time inevitably led to a decline in the players' morale.
72nd minute of the second half.
Taking advantage of the moment when the opponent's morale was low and they were distracted, Tang Long completed another brilliant long-distance attack on the left flank!
This long-distance run was particularly impressive, not only showcasing Tang Long's individual ability but also demonstrating the synergy of Manchester City's overall teamwork.
When Tang Long started his run down the left flank, defensive Pogba volunteered to let right-back Ashley Young drop back slightly so he could take on Tang Long one-on-one.
"I'll have a go at him!"
That year, Pogba was only 23 years old, the prime of his career as a professional player.
However, Pogba has a fatal flaw: he is too eager to perform.
If it were his teammate Carrick, a seasoned midfielder, he would never have tried to steal the ball from Tang Long. Instead, he would have fought back and retreated, allowing Tang Long to pass the ball out as much as possible.
But Pogba did it differently. He took a long stride forward, intending to tackle Tang Long, ball and all, away.
Tang Long readily accepted this "suicidal" defense.
With a gentle nudge, a La Croqueta was thrown out of Pogba's hand. He lost his footing and immediately slid down, crashing into the advertising board next to him.
With a loud bang, he was hit so hard he saw stars.
Tang Long, quick-witted and agile, didn't stop and ran towards the densely populated area in the middle.
There, Herrera and Carrick were on high alert.
But Tang Long, who was rushing forward at high speed, was not just a torrent—two tributaries suddenly appeared on his sides, which were Gündoğan and Mkhitaryan, who had just entered the game, supporting him from both sides.
For a moment, Manchester United were outnumbered two to three, putting their midfield at a disadvantage in certain areas.
Carrick and Herrera noticed Tang Long's shifty eyes and trembling ankle, assuming he was about to pass the ball.
Carrick thought Tang Long would pass to Gündoğan to the left, while Herrera thought he would pass to Mkhitaryan to the right.
The two men took a step to either side, preparing to mark the object he was about to pass the ball to.
Unexpectedly, it was precisely this tug-of-war between Gündoğan and Mkhitaryan that involuntarily created a one-meter-long gap between Carrick and Herrera.
Tang Long dashed across the middle in response!
"Pretty!"
Agüero, positioned in the middle, cheered and immediately moved to the wing, gesturing for the ball.
But this time, Manchester United's defense didn't fall for it, and no one went to Agüero.
Tang Long, who had already sprinted nearly 20 meters, decided to do the opposite and stopped moving forward. Instead, he made a cross pass, which ended up going straight to Agüero!
When the ball was passed to him, the entire Manchester United team was stunned; it turned out he was still going to pass the ball!
But Agüero was also quick-witted; he knew that he wasn't as sharp on the flanks as Tang Long.
An average player might dribble a couple of steps after receiving the ball and then pass it back, but Agüero is experienced. He didn't stop the ball after receiving it and directly passed it back to Tang Long's feet.
This caught Manchester United completely off guard. What exactly is going on behind the scenes with this back-and-forth?
As the saying goes, when masters clash, their moves are unpredictable, and every move is a counter-strategy.
The pass and reception between Agüero and Tang Long distracted Manchester United.
Tang Long dribbled the ball forward rapidly, "bang bang bang bang bang bang," the football under his feet beating at the same rapid frequency as his heart.
Watch out behind you!
Agüero exclaimed in surprise.
Pogba, the player who had been beaten earlier, was still unwilling to accept defeat. He gritted his teeth and immediately ran back, launching a flying tackle from behind to bring Tang Long down. He felt it would be worth it even if it meant getting a yellow card and a free kick.
But Tang Long, who was sharp-eyed and perceptive, could hear the wind whistling as Pogba attacked, even though he didn't have eyes on the back of his head.
During the run, Pogba executed a Marseille Turn, circling around once more. His flying tackle missed again, but he collided with center -Bailly. Both men cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
This move is truly killing two birds with one stone!
This immediately rendered two Manchester United players unable to defend.
At this moment, Blind, who was the last center-back to drop back, was already trembling with fear!
It's often said that the Netherlands are tall and strong, and there are certainly some imposing Netherlands footballers among them.
But Blind is 1.80 meters tall and weighs only 70 kilograms, making him a technically skilled backcourt player.
Faced with Tang Long's fierce attack, they were caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure of where to retreat to.
He simply turned sideways, constantly lowering his center of gravity and shifting his weight, thinking: You can only shoot from a distance, you can't get past me anyway!
But by this time, Blind was already on the chopping block, and Tang Long was sharpening his knife, so why wouldn't he give him a quick and painless kill?
It's an absolute blast!
The simple yet brutal way of dribbling past an opponent—a push with the right foot followed by a chase—is concise yet full of the raw, violent beauty of football!
Blind's small frame was no match for Tang Long's acceleration.
He stumbled, tripped on his own heel, and fell to his knees.
Tang Long had clearly overestimated Blind's speed, so he dribbled the ball very quickly, getting past Blind and already reaching the baseline.
Although Tang Long was rushing at high speed, he still managed to quickly turn his head and glance at De Gea.
De Gea took a small step forward.
Clearly, the Spain goalkeeper felt that Tang Long's shooting angle was already very narrow, and he was unlikely to shoot, so he would only pass the ball. Therefore, De Gea took the initiative to block Tang Long's passing lane.
From a professional goalkeeper's perspective, De Gea's move was reasonable and a textbook goalkeeping strategy, but it wouldn't have been suitable for Tang Long.
Because Tang Long always does things the opposite of what's expected!
Pass?
No!
Or just knock on the door!
"Sergio!" Tang Long roared.
"Hey! Here I come!" Agüero shouted and charged forward.
Bang!
Tang Long twisted his body dramatically, turning a full 90 degrees, with his supporting foot pointing towards the near corner of the goal, and unleashed a low, Low-trajectory Curve Shot with the instep of his foot!
The football clung tightly to the grass, making a hissing sound, sending clumps of grass flying and creating a furrow in the air. With a whoosh, it nestled past De Gea's feet into the near corner!
2 to 1!
Tang Long scores from an impossible angle!