Under the Gazes of Teammates, Tang Long and Gracie Left the Locker Room!
With a gasp from the commentator, Tang Long moved with incredible agility, his feet barely touching the ground, and instantly darted to the bottom of the penalty area.
Just when everyone thought that Tang Long might be able to take a bold shot from this position on the left, landing on his left foot and smashing the cue;
But unexpectedly, he stretched out his foot and gently hooked the ball, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and the football instantly stopped obediently at his feet like soft cotton.
What a brilliant example of using minimal force to achieve maximum effect!
That first touch was truly amazing, leaving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster completely dumbfounded.
He had thought Tang Long was going to unleash a powerful shot, and was even prepared to block the near post. But Tang Long's feint caused him to slip and stumble. Startled, he quickly regained his balance and called for his teammates to get back on defense.
However, Tang Long's forward run this time was specifically designed to break the offside trap.
The two center-backs Evans and Wilson, fell for Tang Long's roundabout runs and were quickly separated by a distance of about ten meters.
Therefore, Tang Long had ample space to dribble the ball slowly towards the goal line, and even had time to move slightly towards the center to create a shooting angle.
Three points in a straight line!
Like a sniper aiming at his prey through a scope, Tang Long's eyes and body language were also aimed at the top right corner of the goal.
West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster watched intently as Tang Long took his shot.
As soon as his cleats grazed the turf, Foster, like a startled bird, quickly took a large step to his left, trying to block the far corner.
But Tang Long's move was just a feint, a diversionary tactic!
He merely made a shooting motion, but his foot kicked the grass ten centimeters to the right of the ball, kicking up a clump of dirt.
He lifted his foot, but the ball didn't move.
This move again shifted Foster's center of gravity, causing him to stagger. Seeing the ball hadn't moved, he was horrified, thinking, "It's over!"
Tang Long gently pushed with the instep of his foot, and the ball grazed the gap in Foster's right foot, rolling into the near corner.
"Calm!"
"An incredibly calm choice!"
"The first moment of composure was when, facing a volley, I didn't rush to kick the ball, but instead skillfully brought it to a stop."
"The second moment of composure was when I used a feint to fool the goalkeeper and then put the ball into the near corner!"
"Tang Long has shown us the unparalleled composure of a top striker in the penalty area!"
"In that instant, the striker must have had many options in his mind, but Tang Long always managed to make the most rational choice in the blink of an eye."
"Just like when a car is at a fork in the road, you can always trust Tang Long, as the driver, to get to the destination in the shortest amount of time!"
Tang Long displayed unparalleled composure on that play, while the fans at the Etihad Stadium were far less composed.
It was only two minutes into the game, and many Manchester City fans who arrived late hadn't even entered the stadium yet; some were still walking in the aisles.
When these fans saw Tang Long score at the start of the game, they didn't even bother looking for seats. They just jumped and cheered on the spot, and the entire Etihad Stadium erupted in cheers!
Tang Long smiled slightly and turned his head to see Mkhitaryan, Gündoğan, and Thiago rushing towards him.
In this match, key defensive midfielder Ranocchia was rested, and these three players were in the starting lineup.
Only then did Tang Long suddenly realize that he didn't know who had provided the assist, and he quickly asked the three men, "Great pass! Who made that pass?"
The three teammates were stunned upon hearing this, their faces showing disbelief.
Gündoğan laughed and shouted, "I passed it! Such a beautiful pass, and you don't even know who passed it to you?"
Tang Long smiled and Gündoğan five.
"Sorry, I don't usually check who passed the ball when I make a forward run."
Tang Long's statement is true, and it reflects a habit he has gradually developed since switching from attacking midfielder to striker this season.
Manchester City's main style is possession-based football. In the middle, the ball moves very quickly, and it can be passed between three or four players in just four or five seconds.
Once Tang Long judges that the ball's position and his own position can form a line, and he sees an opening in the opponent's defense, he will decisively move forward without looking back, regardless of who passed the ball or whether the pass was accurate.
If you're going to insert it, then insert it all the way in!
So, whether it was Gündoğan, Thiago, or Mkhitaryan, Tang Long would make a forward run whenever the ball was in position.
"I've already completed the task. You two need to step up your game."
After providing the assist Gündoğan and Tang Long high-fived, then Gundogan looked smugly at Mkhitaryan and Thiago.
Thiago and Mkhitaryan smile, their eyes filled with a friendly provocation, as if to say, "Let's see who can give Tang Long an assist first, brothers?"
Seeing this, the other Manchester City teammates who came to celebrate also smiled.
It seems the whole team has already reached a consensus on making Tang Long the first European Golden Shoe winner in Manchester City's history.
Basically, we just kept feeding him balls, as much as he could eat.
Surprisingly, the next player to provide an assist for Tang Long was neither Mkhitaryan nor Thiago.
Instead, it gave the starting young player Bonazzoli a chance to shine!
In the 36th minute of the first half, from the same position, with the same pass and the same run, Bonazzoli created a near one-on-one opportunity just like he had in the previous round against Bayern.
Right-back Navas's passing is very cunning.
Since being converted to right-back by Guardiola, Navas's positional awareness has shifted backward, but his vision has broadened, and his thinking about football has become more profound.
This time, after receiving the ball on the wing, he didn't make the usual cross from the byline as last season. Instead, he deliberately moved towards the center, and in his field of vision, he saw a teammate quickly making a cross to the right.
Navas has poor eyesight, with myopia of 200 degrees.
He realized that this person could be Bonazzoli, or it could be Agüero in the middle; in any case, the first pass would be made with his left foot.
It wasn't until they saw a tall figure chasing the ball that they realized it was the young player Bonazzoli!
"Get him, Bonazzoli!"
Navas encouraged Bonazzoli in midfield as he faced a rapidly closing left-back Nyom.
Like Tang Long, Bonazzoli also plays as a striker, and when he dribbles into the penalty area, he also has dozens of options in his mind.
This time, Bonazzoli learned from his previous mistake against Bayern when Hummels made a sliding tackle. He quickly moved closer to the ball, adjusted his balance, feigned a shot, and then swiftly cut inside.
This trick fooled Nyom, who attempted the same sliding tackle as Hummels, but it was all in vain.
This defensive failure was due to both Nyom's defensive ability being far inferior to Hummels' and Bonazzoli's evolution.
Yes, Bonazzoli has indeed evolved!
After his spectacular diving header that assisted Tang Long's goal in the previous round, the young Italy player's confidence has soared.
After getting past his opponent, he quickly glanced up at the goalkeeper, then took a shot.
In the final step, he quickly changed his footwork, flicked his ankle, and passed the ball across!
Tang Long arrived on horseback, rushed forward, and unleashed a powerful shot with the instep of his foot. The ball shot like a thunderbolt, striking the left side of the goal and making a rustling sound as it hit the net.
"What are you doing? You can hit that ball yourself."
Tang Long turned back and gave Bonazzoli a grateful smile.
"I'll give you the assist instead. It'll be more satisfying to assist you than to score myself." Bonazzoli looked at Tang Long with some affection.
Agüero was standing nearby, was a little jealous. He stepped forward and put his arms around Bonazzoli and Tang Long's necks.
"Next time you have this opportunity, could you pass it to me too?"
"No, Sergio," Bonazzoli laughed, "You won the Golden Boot last year, this year, it's Don't have to."
The three of them burst into laughter.
During halftime, everyone was laughing and relaxed.
Gündoğan congratulated Tang Long: "Tang, I'll bet you, you'll score at least three goals tonight, and you can take the match ball home again!"
Stones said, "Just run right between their two center-backs, and I'll show you a long pass from the back!"
Mkhitaryan, who is usually not very talkative, interrupted, "Wait a minute, I haven't even started my assist yet, can you move back a bit?"
The changing room was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
Tang Long simply smiled and remained silent.
Gracie peeked out from the doorway and beckoned to Tang Long in a low voice, "Hey, come out for a second."
Tang Long didn't know why Gracie wanted to see him, or what she couldn't say in person, but seeing her anxious look, he went over to her.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Tang Long walked out of the locker room.
Bonazzoli asked curiously, "Is Don alright? He seems fine to me. Why is Gracie calling him?"
Agüero clicked his tongue twice, then said to everyone in a deliberately mysterious tone, "Don't you all think that Miss Gracie and Don't have a very special relationship?"