69novels Chapter 35 A Contingency Plan
Chapter 35 A Contingency Plan
December 11, 2015, 12 p.m. local time in England.
The lights at White Hart Lane stadium are all on.
Tottenham fans both inside and outside the stadium were already ready and cheering enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, in China, it was already 3 a.m. on the 12th, and countless domestic fans were staying up all night, refreshing the page on Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform).
The top headline on Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform) has long been changed to a push notification about this do-or-die match, with two eye-catching headlines displayed at the very top:
Europa League Do-or-Die! White Hart Lane: Asian Showdown! Jiang Ming vs. Son Heung-min!
Starting lineups announced: Son Heung-min and Harry Kane start! Jiang Ming is on the bench!
The comment section exploded instantly, scrolling through the comments at breakneck speed:
"Why isn't Jiang Ming in the starting lineup? He's been in such good form lately, scoring one goal and providing four assists in the last three games. How can he not start? Jardim has gone mad!"
"Don't you understand? Monaco used him to generate buzz in the previous Ligue 1 matches. When it comes to a do-or-die game, how could they let a 17-year-old carry the load?"
"Look at Son Heung-min! He's also an Asian player, yet he's a regular starter for Tottenham. That's a true star player!"
"What a load of rubbish! Kane was the Premier League Silver Boot winner last season; he's the real leader of Tottenham!"
"Look at Monaco's starting lineup, I've looked at it over and over and I still can't figure out what formation it is!"
"Don't rush, don't rush, we'll find out when the match starts. Maybe it's Yaldin's hidden trump card?"
……
In the away team's locker room at White Hart Lane.
Jardim was standing in front of the tactics board, holding magnetic player pieces in his hand, adjusting their positions one by one.
"Alright, that's the strategy for this match." Yardin placed the last piece on the strategy board. "Any questions?"
Everyone in the locker room shook their heads.
"Starting lineup, that's it. And get the substitutes ready too." Yardin clapped his hands.
"I'm ready to adjust my tactics based on Tottenham's style of play at any time, so nobody can let me down."
As he spoke, Yardin's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering on Jiang Ming for a moment before shifting away.
Jiang Ming knew exactly what Ye Men was thinking.
Jardim is keeping him as a backup plan since he didn't start this match.
After all, he's been in phenomenal form lately, which is quite noticeable to outsiders, and he'll likely be a focus of Tottenham's research.
To play it safe, Jardim kept him on the bench, using him as a surprise weapon whenever possible.
He didn't have any complaints.
After all, even Lemar, a key player who had just recovered from injury, did not get a starting opportunity.
Everyone in Monaco had their own ideas, but no one objected.
Yardin gave the group of energetic young men one last look, then opened the locker room door: "Alright, now get on the field and fight for this match!"
The Monaco players rose one by one and stepped into the deep players' tunnel at White Hart Lane.
The further you go, the clearer the roar from the audience outside becomes, so loud that the walls of the passageway tremble slightly.
Jiang Ming followed behind the group, took a deep breath, and suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
There's no way around it; the intimidating atmosphere created by tens of thousands of fans at a home stadium would make anyone's heart race.
Just then, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly exploded in his mind:
[Ding! Quest triggered: Elf Rebirth - Stage 3]
The team is currently on the brink of elimination, facing the risk of being knocked out.
The world is amazed by your recent performances, believing that the football genius has returned.
Only you know that you are still far from the pinnacle of elf cultivation.
Your impressive record makes you a key target for your opponents' analysis, forcing your coach to keep you as a backup plan and use you as a surprise weapon to break the deadlock.
[Mission Objective: Help the team win and advance to the knockout stage]
[Task Rewards: Rewards will be distributed based on your overall performance.]
……
As soon as I reached the entrance of the passage, a deafening roar from outside rushed towards me.
Tens of thousands of Tottenham fans stood in the stands, arms around each other, forming a wave, and belting out the team song they had been singing for almost sixty years:
"Glory, glory, Tottenham Hotspur!"
"Glory, glory, Tottenham Hotspur!"
"And the Spurs go marching on, on, on!"
……
Meanwhile, the domestic CCTV5 channel had just stabilized its broadcast signal.
After a slight signal noise, Zhan Jun's signature clear voice came through:
"Welcome to CCTV5, everyone! The final round of the Europa League group stage, a do-or-die match between Tottenham Hotspur and Monaco at home! I'm your commentator, Zhan Jun."
Zhang Lu chimed in, "Hey, I'm Zhang Lu. We'll be the commentators for this match."
Zhan Jun added with a smile, "We also have to thank the rights holder for this match, Lay's Sports, who managed to secure the broadcasting rights for CCTV5 at the last minute. Otherwise, everyone would have missed watching the game even if they stayed up all night!"
After the two introduced themselves, the starting lineups for both sides were revealed.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris
Guards: Kyle Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Danny Rose
Midfielders: Moussa Dembélé, Dier
Attacking midfielder: Dele Alli
Forwards: Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, Erik Lamela
Monaco (3-4-1-2):
Goalkeeper: Subasic
Defenders: Echequel, Toulalan, Wallace
Midfielders: Dilar, Bakayoko, Pasalic, Bernardo Silva
Attacking midfielder: Moutinho
Forwards: El Shaarawy, Lachinar Traoré
"Wow, Tottenham really fielded their strongest lineup!" Zhan Jun exclaimed, looking at the starting lineup on the screen.
"They can't afford to lose either. If they lose this match, their chances of advancing will be completely reversed. No wonder Pochettino doesn't dare to give them any rest."
As he spoke, he turned to Zhang Lu beside him and asked with a smile, "Coach Zhang, can you tell everyone what kind of strategy Jardim has come up with in this starting lineup? Many fans are confused."
"hey-hey."
Zhang Lu chuckled and said, "Viewers might have been wondering why Yaldin fielded a three-defender starting lineup?"
"Because Monaco wants to advance, they must win this match, and this is the most attacking lineup Jardim can field."
"Look at this starting lineup, Carvalho isn't playing in the central defensive position. Instead, Toulalan has been pulled back to fill in as a defensive midfielder. This is a backup plan for rotating the formation."
「防守的时候，他们落位是3-4-1-2，真要攻起来，图拉朗压上踢后腰，球队的阵型直接就变成了4-1-2-1-2，也就是我们常说的4-4-2菱形中场。」
"B. Silva and Dillar will play as wing-backs, using their running to attack Tottenham's flanks."
"If we're going to be even more aggressive, we could just keep two sweepers and use the wing-backs as wingers, pushing them all up the pitch!"
"This tactic is designed to suppress defensive teams; it seems Jardim assumed Tottenham would play defensively at home before the match!"
After listening, Zhan Jun slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Zhang's analysis is so professional!"
The camera cuts to the sidelines, where Zhan Jun explains the facts to the audience one by one.
"The man in the picture is Tottenham's physiotherapist. I heard his wife is three months pregnant and she's here to watch the game today."
"Oh! This guy with the sausage is a 20-year Tottenham season ticket member, he's never missed a game."
As they were talking, the director wisely switched the camera to Monaco's substitute bench, focusing on the black-haired, yellow-skinned boy.
Zhan Jun coughed instantly, his voice suddenly rising: "Hey! The guy on the screen! He's Jiang Ming, currently the most sought-after 17-year-old player in our country!"
"This young man is in phenomenal form lately! I hope he gets a chance to play today, and I wish him a great performance!"
……
At 8 p.m. local time in England, referee Ivan glanced down at his watch.
The moment the clock struck the hour, he suddenly blew his whistle.
With the sounding of the whistle, the crucial Europa League match between Tottenham and Monaco officially kicked off!