Match mission issued! Get ready to take the field.
In the football world, someone has created a "Joy Ranking."
This isn't a list of the top scorers or assist providers but rather those who miss the most golden chances.
And without a doubt, Sterling ranks first.
Whether at Liverpool or Manchester City, no matter how great the playmakers were, even if they served the ball to him on a silver platter, Sterling still found a way to miss.
As if scoring goals was poisonous to him.
His managers? Let's just say they never found joy in his "joy ranking."
That being said, Sterling's dribbling ability was exceptional, his speed and explosiveness top-notch, and his off-the-ball movement always dangerous.
At just 16 years old, he was already dominating at the U18 level!
The Match Begins!
Just two minutes into the game, an overly excited Januzaj lunged in with a tackle, bringing an opponent down and immediately earning a yellow card.
That nearly sparked a fight between the two teams, but the referee stepped in quickly to break things up.
Don't let their young age fool you—every player here had deep-rooted rival hatred.
For them, a match without a brawl? Something just wouldn't feel right.
On the sidelines, Solskjær was already yelling.
At 11 minutes and 24 seconds, Sterling received the ball on the left flank, shook off Jack Rudge, and curled a powerful shot toward the goal.
"DUANG!"
The ball smashed against the post!
The Old Trafford crowd gasped in shock!
Carragher, clearly delighted, exclaimed,"He hit the post! That means the goal is coming soon!""You have to admire Sterling's dribbling and quick turns—simply brilliant!"
Beside him, Scholes remained silent…
He could only hope for a Manchester United response before he could cheer for his side.
14:28 - United Finally Counterattacks!
From midfield, Dæhli found Byrne up front.
Inspired by Ye Chen's "falling leaf" shot in training the previous day, Byrne decided to try the same thing…
But instead, he blasted the ball into orbit.
Even Scholes couldn't hold back:"Oh my god! What kind of shot was that? Ole should make him stay after practice and train his finishing!"
Carragher took the chance to throw in some banter."Paul, are all United's youth strikers this bad? They look more like U8s than U18s!"
Scholes smirked, not taking the bait."Relax. I called Ole last night, and he told me we have a special forward."
Carragher raised an eyebrow."Oh? Don't tell me you mean that short, white-haired kid?"
"Nope," Scholes replied. "He's from China."
Carragher burst out laughing."China? Are you sure you're not talking about their porcelain or tea? Do they even play football?"
Scholes checked the squad list."He's in the squad. His name is... Chen Ye."
Carragher scoffed."Paul, stop fooling yourself. If he was any good, why isn't he starting?"
Scholes had no response.
Meanwhile, On the Pitch…
Liverpool's Emilson launched a long ball to the left flank.
As the ball came flying in, Sterling controlled it flawlessly with a single touch!
Just that touch alone sent the crowd into a frenzy.
United's right-back, Massacci, didn't stand around admiring it—he rushed in to challenge.
But Sterling wasn't fazed in the slightest. He dribbled forward, waiting until the perfect moment to swiftly change direction, leaving Massacci completely in the dust.
He might as well have been a traffic cone.
As center-back Wilkinson rushed in to help, Sterling didn't even hesitate—Boom!He unleashed a thunderous shot.
The ball curled beautifully towards the far post.
United's keeper Liam leaped desperately…
But his fingertips couldn't even touch the ball.
"SWOOSH!"
The ball slammed into the net!
Sterling roared in celebration, sprinting towards the Liverpool fan section."WHO ELSE?!"
0-1!
At Old Trafford, Liverpool had taken the lead!
The away fans went absolutely wild.
Carragher screamed into his mic:"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! A stunning strike from Sterling! Liam had no chance!"
Even Scholes had to admit,"Brilliant dribbling, perfect shot. Sterling is simply a level above U18 football."
Solskjær's Tactical Adjustment
Frowning, Solskjær turned to Januzaj:"Stick to Sterling. Man-mark him!"
Januzaj nodded."Got it, boss!"
Maybe it was his special training with Ye Chen, but Januzaj's tight marking actually worked.
Since Januzaj had already been booked, he avoided tackles, focusing on blocking Sterling's inside cuts while Massacci covered the outside lane.
And sure enough, Sterling's influence started to fade.
Seeing that he had successfully locked down Sterling, Januzaj smiled, sneaking a glance toward the bench.
He knew—his defensive movements?All learned from Ye Chen.
Halftime: United 0-1 Liverpool
The first 45 minutes flew by.
Manchester United trailed by a goal as they headed into halftime.
As the team gathered, Ye Chen walked up to Solskjær, eyes filled with expectation."Boss, will I get a chance to play?"
Solskjær looked at him.
For a second, he hesitated.
This scene felt all too familiar.
Over 20 years ago…
He had once asked his own manager the exact same question.
After a brief silence, Solskjær pointed toward the pitch.
"Go warm up."
"Yes, sir!"
Ye Chen didn't even step into the dressing room.Without a second thought, he sprinted straight onto Old Trafford's sacred turf.
Since U18 matches weren't commercially valuable, there were no ads during the break.
So the cameras stayed on the players.
Ye Chen jogged a couple of laps, then grabbed a ball to practice his shooting technique.
He wasn't the only one warming up. Kyliano and Tom joined him.
It was obvious—Solskjær wasn't happy with the attack in the first half.
The fact that all three warming up were offensive players meant substitutions were imminent.
On the Liverpool side, the players were relaxed and laughing.
To them, the match was as good as won.
System Notification
Ding!Match mission issued: Score or assist in the second half!
Success: Bronze loot box.Failure: Lose 5 random stat points.
Hearing the system notification, Ye Chen grinned.
His time was coming.
Of course, he had no idea—Just how much courage it had taken for Solskjær to make this decision…