Tang Long Directs a Dream Start! Toying with Manchester United's Defense, an Unbelievable Zero-Degree Angle Forces an Own Goal!
Tang Long's opening long-range shot from the center circle, strictly speaking, couldn't even be considered a shot on goal.
Recalling the last Manchester Derby, Icardi also took a similar shot at the start of the game, which was clearly aimed at a goal.
However, the idea of scoring with such a shot is simply a pipe dream; its purpose is merely to send a warning.
Tang Long knew perfectly well that De Gea's goalkeeping ability was top-notch. Looking at the entire world of football, no player could smash the ball into De Gea's goal the moment the ball was kicked off from the center circle.
To put it more bluntly, any Premier League goalkeeper standing in front of that goal, no matter how skilled, would have absolutely no chance of putting the ball into the net against such a long-range shot.
Therefore, Tang Long's kick was clearly intended to precisely aim the ball near Manchester United's corner flag area, creating a throw-in.
Tang Long's superb footwork is renowned in the football world. This kick was perfect in terms of power and angle. The ball landed perfectly on the sideline near the corner flag, only twenty or thirty centimeters away from the goal line.
In terms of footwork alone, it's several times more difficult than striking directly at the center of the goal from the center circle!
The Manchester United players looked on with confusion and bewilderment at Tang Long's inexplicable kick.
But on the Manchester City side, everyone understood perfectly and showed no surprise whatsoever.
Following the carefully planned tactical deployment, everyone pressed forward swiftly, like well-trained soldiers.
In an instant, Blind, Darmian, Fellaini, and other Manchester United players who were preparing to receive throws from the sideline on the left flank were surrounded like an iron barrel by Manchester City's Gündoğan, Ranocchia, Tang Long, Apollo, and others.
"Tang Long's shot was designed to put immense pressure on Manchester United's attack from the very beginning!"
"We can see that it won't be so easy for Manchester United to lose this throw-in smoothly right now!"
"The player receiving the ball was completely surrounded, and Manchester City's formation has tilted significantly to the right!"
"This was absolutely a premeditated and meticulously designed tactic, clearly planned from before the opening whistle!"
"I've been commentating on football for almost 20 years, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a novel tactic. It's truly eye-opening!"
At this moment, Manchester United's left-back Darmian held the ball tightly in both hands, raising it high above his head, his eyes filled with hesitation and conflict.
The Italy full-back looked around anxiously, seeing only his teammates shrouded in blue Manchester City jerseys, none of whom could easily receive the ball.
Looking further ahead, Carrick was unmarked, but the distance was simply too great; throwing the ball there recklessly would be too risky. Darmian certainly didn't have the courage for that.
In that moment of hesitation, Darmian held the ball for four or five seconds, still unable to throw it.
In the stands of the Etihad Stadium, most of the Manchester City fans were seasoned veterans who had been watching football for many years.
Initially, they were also completely baffled by Tang Long's unusual tactics;
But at this moment, seeing Manchester United in such a predicament while taking throw-ins, it suddenly dawned on me.
In an instant, a deafening chorus of boos surged toward Darmian like a tidal wave.
The boos were deafening, as if they were about to overturn the entire stadium.
Tang Long wasn't idle either; he shouted loudly at the referee to put pressure on him.
"Referee, he's past the time limit! If he keeps dawdling and not throwing the ball, he should get a yellow card!"
Under immense pressure, Darmian could no longer afford to worry about anything else. He swung his arms, took two running steps, and near the corner flag, threw the ball with all his might towards the sideline.
Generally speaking, in football, throw-ins are mostly taken by full-backs.
Through long-term specialized training, full-backs have a far superior throwing ability compared to players in other positions, being able to throw the ball farther and more accurately.
But this time, the pitch was placed right near the corner flag. Even if Darmian is a master of inbounds shots, how far could he possibly throw the ball from such an unfavorable position?
Ranocchia, taking advantage of his height and size, overpowered Fellaini and leaped high from more than ten meters away, heading the ball back into the middle.
The ball flew perfectly, straight towards Manchester United's defensive Carrick.
Just as Carrick was about to stop the ball, a light blue figure suddenly flashed out like lightning, getting ahead of him and intercepting the ball firmly.
The one who intercepted the ball was none other than Gündoğan!
Since being publicly criticized by Chivu in front of the whole team, Gündoğan has deeply reflected on his performance on the field.
In this crucial derby match, he showed great enthusiasm from the start, eager to prove his ability to the coaching staff.
This seasoned Germany midfielder, in this throw-in defensive tactic, deliberately didn't closely mark Carrick, intentionally creating the illusion that the Manchester United midfielder was unmarked.
The moment Ranocchia's header flew towards Carrick, Gündoğan had already started his run, darting out like the Cheetah pouncing on its prey, and successfully intercepted the ball right in front of Carrick.
Moreover, Gündoğan was more muscular and stronger than Carrick. With a powerful slam of his shoulder and hip, he sent Carrick staggering back three steps, almost falling over!
"Nice shot!!!"
The Etihad Stadium erupted in a deafening roar of cheers!
Fans know that Manchester City's tactics were a great success, as they successfully forced a crucial interception in the opponent's half!
Anyone who understands football knows that, even when receiving the ball in the same position in the attacking third, the level of threat to the goal is vastly different depending on whether your team actively passes the ball to that position or wins it by intercepting the opponent!
Gündoğan was already quite far forward with the ball, only about 30 meters from Manchester City's goal;
He brought the ball to a steady stop and quickly glanced at his two teammates who were moving rapidly.
One of them is Agüero in the middle lane.
The Argentina player, like a nimble ghost, swiftly slipped through the gap between Blind and Bailly, and quickly darted towards the left flank.
The other one is Tang Long.
He briefly changed position, moving from the left to the right, and was pulling hard towards the right flank, aiming for the space between Bailly and Valencia.
After only 0.5 seconds of quick thinking and judgment, Gündoğan decisively and accurately passed the ball to Tang Long on the right wing.
On the sidelines, Guardiola saw this from afar and couldn't help but give Gündoğan a thumbs up, his eyes full of admiration.
This is a common attacking method used in Manchester City's current attacking system.
Agüero is always like a sharp blade, piercing straight into the most dangerous area of the opponent's penalty area, but he often plays a more deceptive role, drawing the opponent's defensive firepower;
The relatively wide side roads became Tang Long's stage to fully display his talents!
Seeing Tang Long receive the ball on the right wing, Ranocchia, Gündoğan, and others displayed excellent teamwork, not moving forward to support him, but instead running towards the penalty area.
Everyone knew that a spectacular one-on-one match between Tang Long and Valencia was about to take place.
Ecuadorian player Valencia watched helplessly as Tang Long dribbled the ball slowly approached him. He swallowed nervously, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
He couldn't help but take a deep breath.
In the pre-match tactical planning, it was originally unlikely that his side would face Tang Long head-on.
But at that moment, Tang Long suddenly appeared before her, and Valencia was immediately flustered and at a loss.
He stared intently at Tang Long's figure, secretly calculating in his mind:
"Although I'm fast and physically strong, this kid's footwork is skillful, but I'll definitely be at a disadvantage if I try to fight him for a long time. I have no choice but to go all in and make a one-shot deal, I'll risk it all!"
As Manchester City players surged into the penalty area like a tidal wave, even without teammates to support Tang Long, other Manchester United players, such as Herrera and Carrick, dared not rashly join Valencia in attacking Tang Long, fearing that a huge gap would appear in their defensive line behind them, allowing the opponent to seize the opportunity for a counter-attack.
Therefore, this time, a one-on-one situation was created at the corner of the penalty area near the corner flag, with only Tang Long and Valencia on the field!
For a moment, all the spotlights at Etihad were focused on the two of them.
Tang Long strolled leisurely with the ball, as if taking a walk in his own backyard, until he was about 1.5 meters away from Valencia.
Suddenly, Valencia stretched out his hand and raised it, letting out a strange "Hey!"
Valencia's move is a relatively advanced technique among defensive players—taking the initiative.
Most defensive players tend to react passively, first observing the offensive player's intentions and actions before making their next judgment;
This time, Valencia cleverly used body language and loud shouts to lure Tang Long into making the first move.
--[Actively misleading, be careful!]
However, almost at the same instant Valencia let out her strange cry, a thought seemed to flash through Tang Long's mind.
The AI System he relied on had already made a quick prediction based on Valencia's past defensive habits and this unusual body language, and conveyed the key information to Tang Long - Valencia would not take the initiative to make a big tackle.
Tang Long understood immediately and deliberately flicked the ball heavily to the left with his right foot, creating the illusion that he was trying to force his way past Valencia.
Seeing this, Valencia secretly rejoiced. "Sure enough, my trick of pretending to reach for the ball worked! I fooled him!"
In fact, the Manchester United full-back's center of gravity was as steady as a rock, without the slightest sway;
Seeing Tang Long flick the ball to his side, Valencia reacted quickly and nimbly, immediately stretching out his leg and fiercely sliding it towards the ball.
Seeing that Valencia was serious, Tang Long stopped pretending and continued to play along with his fancy feints.
With a swift left-foot flick, he executed a quick "La Croqueta" move, the ball weaving rapidly between his feet. With two crisp "slap" sounds, Tang Long, like a gust of wind, dribbled the ball in the opposite direction from the other side of Valencia, speeding towards the baseline!
Wow!!!
The Manchester City fans on that side instantly stood up, their eyes wide with disbelief and excitement.
"Great! Tang Long has successfully gotten past Valencia!" He Wei's voice trembled with excitement.
"How did they get there? I couldn't see them at all, they moved so fast!"
"He slipped past the baseline and charged towards the goal along it! Tang Long has entered the penalty area!"
"Manchester City's players are rapidly changing positions. Agüero, Bonazzoli, Gündoğan, and Ranocchia all have the potential to receive the ball at the front, middle, and back. Who will Tang Long pass the ball to?"
"Tang Long's story has been told!"
At this point, the Manchester City penalty area was in complete chaos.
The red Manchester United jerseys and the blue Manchester City jerseys are intertwined, with a dense array of more than a dozen players and over 20 legs, making it a dazzling sight.
Upon seeing Tang Long pass the ball, Manchester United's players reacted quickly, launching a tight, close marking formation across the front, middle, and back lines.
Agüero, especially in the mid-lane, became the focus of everyone's attention, as if he were a bomb that could explode at any moment.
However, what happened next left the entire audience speechless!
Tang Long did pass the ball, but it was a flat and fast pass with astonishing power, rolling straight towards the near corner of the goal!
Manchester United goalkeeper De Gea's attention was 70% drawn to the dangerous Agüero in the middle, and 30% to Ranocchia in the deeper half.
After all, one has exceptional shooting skills, and the other has superb heading ability; both are top-notch players who can score by poaching goals in the penalty area.
De Gea never expected that Tang Long would choose to shoot directly at the goal in such an extreme situation where the angle was almost zero!
Even at the very moment Tang Long passed the ball, De Gea, relying on his years of goalkeeping experience, subconsciously took a step forward, focusing intently on guarding against any possible shots from the center.
When Tang Long launched a low cross from the right wing, almost at zero angle towards the near post, De Gea had no time to react. He couldn't retreat in time and could only instinctively try to block it with his foot.
With a loud bang, Tang Long's shot struck the inside of the near post. The ball bounced outward less than a meter after being hit by the force, and then with another bang, it hit De Gea's hastily outstretched left foot squarely.
The ball, which had initially bounced off the post, was knocked into the goal by De Gea!
Own goal!
That was an own goal!
De Gea was in an extremely awkward, crouching position, frozen in place, watching the ball go into the net.
Everything happened too fast, what could he possibly do?
In vain, the foot that had scored the own goal wouldn't retract, so he simply tilted his head back, lay down on the field with a face full of frustration and resentment.
"Ah... he tricked me!" De Gea cried out in despair.
1-0!
Manchester City took the lead at home in less than a minute!
When the huge scoreboard at the Etihad Stadium jumped from 0-0 to 1-0, the hearts of the 60,000 Manchester City fans in the stadium skipped a beat.
They jumped with their backs to the field, creating a human wave!
In an instant, Etihad was swept by waves of emotion!
"Let's end this game now, Premier League champions, here we come!"