Was this long-range shot really from Ye Chen?
As a former player himself, Solskjaer immediately recognized the precision in both the power and angle of the shot.
Most crucially, it was the timing.
Neither of the two center-backs was marking closely, and the goalkeeper had positioned himself forward.
This was the result of a rapid transition from defense to offense after the blocked shot, during which the young players' concentration had lapsed, allowing Ye Chen to seize this gap!
It was an excellent opportunity to exploit.
"Looks like that trip back did him some good," Solskjaer raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what happened."
As Ye Chen took the shot, Januzaj immediately clasped his head in frustration.
He thought he should've kept dribbling instead of passing. How could Ye Chen choose to take a reckless shot after he had worked so hard to pass the ball?
Wasn't this just wasting his effort?
But everyone's eyes were glued to the ball at that moment.
Goalkeeper Jonathan, seeing the shot coming, thought, Finally, my time to shine! I'll prove myself to the coach right here!
Jonathan dove swiftly, his hands lunging for the ball like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
Yet, just as the ball flew closer, it dipped slightly in midair!
"What the..."
Jonathan panicked, and the ball slipped through his armpit.
Swish!
The ball struck the inside of the net and bounced back out.
Ye Chen stood frozen in place, stunned.
To be honest, he was just trying to test out the effect of his 80-point shot power.
He hadn't expected it to go in!
This shot had been taken from over 25 meters away. When he struck the ball, he used the upper part of his instep, hitting the center of the ball precisely. Most importantly, he had made a slight upward motion at the moment of contact, creating a dipping trajectory.
This subtle movement added deceptive spin, making the shot incredibly difficult for the goalkeeper to predict.
Of course, if Jonathan had aimed to push the ball out for a corner, he likely would have succeeded. But he had tried to showcase his catching skills instead. As a result, he failed to react to the ball's dip and let it slip through.
Before Ye Chen could fully process what had happened, Januzaj pounced on him.
"Oh my God! You did it! Ye, what a stunning long shot!" Januzaj shouted, leaping onto Ye Chen's back.
Only then did Ye Chen snap out of his daze... He had scored!
He had finally scored his first goal since joining Manchester United's U18 team.
If he remembered correctly, his last goal was 387 days ago, in a U16 match, back when he first joined Manchester United.
This goal... was truly spectacular.
The B-team players quickly gathered around Ye Chen, celebrating and cheering.
On the sidelines, Byrne squinted, clenching his fist tightly.
"You think one goal means you've won, yellow monkey? Time for me to get serious!"
Further away, Jonathan slammed his fist into the ground, his eyes ablaze.
"That kid is sly. Celebrate while you canâthis will be the only time you get to do so this match!"
Meanwhile, in Ye Chen's mind, a number changed.
The previous [Long-Range Shot: 1/5] had reset to [Long-Range Shot: 0/5], and the icon had turned gray.
In other words, his long-shot guaranteed goal card had expired for this match.
But could he not score without the S-rank skill?
Not at all!
What the S-rank skill had given him was an enhanced set of attributes.
Beyond that, Ye Chen's past life after retirement was spent watching matchesâobsessively analyzing tactics, player movements, and passing lanes, not just as a casual viewer but with a professional eye.
That was football intelligence.
Although most of the B-team players were substitutes, they had been scouted by a club as prestigious as Manchester United for a reason.
Take Januzaj, for instance. Though currently in the B-team, he was the only youth player on the field who had represented Manchester United's first team and even scored for them.
Though his career hadn't lived up to early expectations, he was a major discovery during Moyes' tenure and later played for his national team alongside stars like De Bruyne, Hazard, and Lukaku.
As the match resumed, the A-team players seemed revitalized by Ye Chen's goal.
Ye Chen, however, didn't idle eitherâhe dropped back to help with defense, much like Cristiano Ronaldo had done in his later Manchester United years.
Though not particularly muscular, Ye Chen stood at 178cm, making him relatively tall for youth-level football.
Whether as a defensive midfielder or a physical barrier, he was a solid choice.
But on the sidelines, Solskjaer frowned.
What was he doing? Solskjaer hadn't assigned him any defensive tasks.
If he participated in defense so actively, what would happen to their counterattacks?
Glancing at the field, Solskjaer noticed Januzaj had shifted slightly toward the center. Could it be...
Solskjaer suddenly recalled Ye Chen pulling Januzaj aside earlier, explaining something in detail. Could they have secretly devised a tactic?
This match had deliberately been left without detailed tactical instructions to test the players' adaptability and decision-making under pressure.
After all, Liverpool, their strong opponent, could disrupt his plans with Sterling alone. In such scenarios, how would the players respond?
Suddenly, Solskjaer came to a realization: modern football emphasizes an all-out attacking and defending approach, accelerating the game's tempo.
Ye Chen's retreat did alleviate defensive pressure, but the question remainedâhow would they counterattack?
Januzaj soon provided an answer.
At 14:24, after conceding the goal, the A-team intensified their attack. However, their inability to score left them increasingly frustrated.
When Pearson cut inside and took a decisive shot, the B-team's goalkeeper deflected it outside the penalty area.
Before the ball could touch the ground, Ye Chen charged forward, clearing it with a powerful kick toward the right side.
Everyone assumed it was just a clearance and paid little attention. Even the A-team defenders moved casually toward the ball's trajectory.
But one figure had already taken off.
It was Januzaj!
Januzaj, who played as a left winger for the first team, primarily operated as a right winger in the youth team.
Ye Chen's clearance wasn't randomâit was directed at Januzaj.
Time was tight; if Ye Chen hadn't acted swiftly, the ball could have been intercepted near the penalty arc, potentially leading to disaster.
On the sidelines, Solskjaer's jaw dropped in astonishment.
On the field, Ye Chen had already started sprinting.
Januzaj reached the ball first, pushed it past the approaching Grimshaw, and skillfully bypassed him with a move known as the "run-and-go."
The two A-team center-backs immediately snapped to attention, retreating at full speed.
But Ye Chen was racing down the left flank, and Januzaj used his speed to chase down the ball before it could be cleared.
Rather than heading for the byline, Januzaj crossed the ball swiftly while running at full tilt.
The trajectory was awkward, landing perfectly between the center-backs and the goalkeeper.
The pass was fast enough to tempt an own goal if the defenders tried to clear it.
Neither Luke nor McGinty dared to intervene rashly.
Goalkeeper Jonathan also hesitated, unable to commit to an interception.
As the ball skidded across the box and reached the far post, a blue figure appeared in everyone's view.
Ye Chen flung himself toward the ball, extending his foot...
Thwack!
The crisp sound of his foot connecting with the ball echoed across the pitch.