Apart from the S-rank skill cards rewarded by the system, Ye Chen's greatest strength was his football intelligence!
This was something he had gained from watching thousands of football matches.
The moment he passed the ball to Januzaj, he had already identified the perfect scoring opportunity.
If he had made a forward run between the two center-backs, he would have been easily blocked by the physically imposing Luke and McGinty, leaving him no chance to take a shot.
So, he chose to sprint toward the far post instead.
Of course, Luke and McGinty were too focused on Januzaj to notice Ye Chen's high-speed movement.
Not just them—the entire field's attention was on Januzaj, completely overlooking Ye Chen's positioning.
Only Solskjaer had his eyes more on Ye Chen!
Because he was also a forward!
And Ye Chen's movement was the most logical choice!
However, he quickly judged, "That ball is too far ahead, Ye won't catch up!"
But at the last possible moment, Ye Chen's toe managed to make contact with the ball!
The ball changed direction and hit the net.
Jonathan, the goalkeeper, didn't even react…
But could anyone really blame him?
Jonathan picked himself up from the ground and immediately shouted at the two center-backs, "How are you guys marking your man?"
Luke didn't even dare to say a word.
But McGinty retorted, "The wing got beaten. What were we supposed to do?"
Losers always find excuses for their failures.
Jonathan gritted his teeth and glared at Ye Chen, but by then, Ye Chen had already picked himself up and was running toward Januzaj.
The teamwork on this goal was simply perfect!
Jonathan secretly felt relieved—it was a good thing he hadn't just yelled at Ye Chen, or he would have completely embarrassed himself.
It wasn't just Ye Chen and Januzaj celebrating. The entire B team swarmed around them.
After all, they were just the substitute team, yet they had managed to take a two-goal lead against the A team in an internal match—something that had never happened before!
Ye Chen hugged Januzaj, "Beautiful pass, Adnan!"
Januzaj laughed, "Your finish was even better, Ye! We're the perfect duo!"
"Amazing, Ye!"
"Ye, you've scored twice!"
"That positioning was incredible!"
"Get one more, Ye! I can't stand that Byrne!"
The B team players gathered around Ye Chen in excitement, while Byrne, standing in the midfield circle, wore a dark expression.
Ye Chen was exceptionally strong today.
But so what?
If I go all out, I will definitely outperform him.
Don't forget, I am the main striker for Manchester United's U18 team!
At that moment, Solskjaer was jotting something down in his notebook:
"Ye Chen: Excellent positioning and long-range shooting!"
And next to it, he drew a little star.
Clearly, Ye Chen had caught Solskjaer's attention!
Ye Chen and the B team returned to the center circle. Seeing Byrne's grim face, Ye Chen chuckled, "Hey, looks like you need to step up your game!"
Byrne narrowed his eyes, "The one who laughs last is the real winner."
"Well said. I'll remember that!"
The match resumed, but this time, Ye Chen didn't go forward. Instead, he stuck to Byrne like glue.
Whether Byrne had the ball or not, Ye Chen simply shadowed him.
"Are you crazy? I don't even have the ball! Why are you marking me?" Byrne roared angrily.
Ye Chen smirked, "How I play is my business. What, am I breaking any rules?"
In reality, Byrne was the attacking core of the A team. They preferred long passes to him because of his height and aerial ability.
But with Ye Chen constantly sticking to him, they couldn't get the ball through, and the A team's attack was completely stalled.
By halftime, the A team had failed to score.
Meanwhile, the B team held onto their two-goal advantage.
During the ten-minute break, the A team huddled together for a quick discussion.
On the other side, the B team was in high spirits. As substitute players, they had never led the A team by two goals at halftime before!
It felt like a dream.
"Hey, guys, quiet down for a second—I have something to say!" Ye Chen clapped his hands to get their attention.
"Just now, Byrne told me, 'The one who laughs last is the real winner.' What do you guys think of that?"
"Hahahaha…"
"He's right! Of course, he is!"
"Ye is the real winner!"
The players burst into laughter.
From a distance, Byrne narrowed his eyes as he heard Ye Chen's words. His anger burned even hotter!
Ye Chen, however, signaled for quiet again and spoke in a serious tone, "Although we're leading by two goals, the A team is indeed stronger than us. The second half is our real test!"
"So, what should we do?" Januzaj asked curiously.
"Have you guys ever watched Real Madrid play against Barcelona?" Ye Chen asked.
The players nodded immediately—after all, Real Madrid was full of superstars and was coached by the world-class manager José Mourinho!
Ye Chen nodded, "Even though Real Madrid's players are world-class, they still work hard on defense against Barcelona. Now, let's treat the A team as Barcelona and focus on defending for the next 30 minutes!"
"But if we only defend, won't it be hard to hold out?" Tyler Blackett frowned.
Ye Chen grinned, "Did you forget how we scored our second goal?"
Solid defense and counterattacks.
That was Mourinho's strategy, and it would also be B team's game plan.
Januzaj's speed was one of the best in the youth team, making him a deadly counterattacking weapon.
And Ye Chen himself was just as fast—another sharp dagger in the counterattack.
But overall, the team's mindset was all about defense and wasting time!
If they could survive these 30 minutes, they would be the ones laughing last!
The second half began quickly.
As expected, the A team made adjustments. They abandoned ground play and started bombarding with aerial attacks—classic English football!
A strategy commonly used by Championship teams.
Byrne's 183cm height might not stand out in the first team, but in the youth squad, he was an aerial powerhouse.
His partnership with Pearson created the perfect "big man-little man" combination.
Byrne fully utilized his heading ability. Just seven minutes into the second half, he scored a header to break through B team's defense!
Ye Chen, who was marking him, was knocked to the ground!
After scoring, Byrne didn't celebrate. He looked down at Ye Chen and sneered, "Go back to China. Trash belongs in the trash heap!"
Ye Chen looked up at him and smiled.
"I've scored two, you've only scored one. Who's the trash now?"
"You…"
Byrne was momentarily speechless.
Trying to show off but ending up getting humiliated…