0:2!!!
After a few seconds of stunned silence, the Liberty Stadium's tiny pocket of away fans erupted with deafening cheers.
Ling seemed to hear nothing, his eyes fixed solely on the rolling football.
As it crossed the goal line, an indescribable, electric thrill surged from the base of his spine, nearly overwhelming his senses.
So, he channeled his emotions into a sprint.
The traveling Manchester United fans saw the young, dark-haired boy sprinting toward their stands, waving his arms enthusiastically.
Exchanging glances, they unanimously broke into a roar of applause and cheers.
"Brilliant, lad!" "Your dribbling was mesmerizing!" "I remember you Chinese kid—you got an assist in the last match!"
One fan, beating a leather drum, roared.
"Another one!"
Led by him, the away supporters chanted in unison to the rhythm of the drumbeats.
"Another one! Another one! Another one!"
Listening to the cheers, Ling broke into a radiant smile.
Before he could indulge in the moment, he suddenly felt as if he had been hit by a rhinoceros, nearly stumbling to the ground.
Turning around, he saw Lukaku flashing his pearly white teeth, giving him a hard slap on the back.
"Ling, well done!" he boomed. "If it were me, I'd probably have taken the shot directly!"
Ling hissed in pain, barely suppressing the urge to punch the big bald egg.
On the sidelines, Mourinho, who had witnessed the entire goal, couldn't help but embrace Faria in celebration as they discussed it.
"Boss, in just over ten days, Ling's technical level seems to have improved again. That dummy shot was incredibly convincing."
"You're focusing on the wrong thing," Mourinho replied, though he was smiling.
"Although his final execution was brilliant, the key was his movement before that. He avoided their defensive stronghold and darted into the box when Pogba took the shot, anticipating the rebound. His instincts are sharp."
"Should we consider starting him?" Faria asked.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Give him more time." Mourinho shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.
Rashford's off-the-ball movement and explosive sprinting were still indispensable.
For Ling to earn a starting spot, this performance was a great start, but it was far from sufficient.
Mourinho continued to gaze at the pitch, unaware that this simple goal had just sent the United fanbase online into a frenzy.
...
MUTV Live Broadcast
"Pogba's shot is blocked... it's loose! LING! FEINTS! DRIBBLES! SLOTS IT INTO THE EMPTY NET!"
"GOAL! IT'S IN! HIS FIRST SENIOR GOAL FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!"
The commentator, Stewart, was shouting, his voice thick with emotion.
"Congratulations to Jeremy Ling! A night at the Liberty Stadium he will never, ever forget! What a moment for the academy!"
"That's just brilliant, Stewart," his co-commentator, David May, chimed in.
"That's not just a tap-in. That's a pro's goal. The awareness to follow the play, the composure to dummy the keeper, and the unselfishness to look for the pass... that's what the gaffer wants to see. He's proven he has a cool head. What a moment for the lad."
Suddenly, the fans who had been dozing off in front of their televisions, bored by the dull match, were jolted awake.
After quickly rewinding, they finally saw the scene they had been longing for.
Then, Twitter exploded.
[GET IN! LING IS A BALLER! That dummy sent the keeper for a pie! #MUFC]
[Who said Mourinho doesn't trust youth? That kid is hungry. Love to see it.]
[Martial who? Ling just scored his first. The kid's got ice in his veins!]
[Tonight's second half was worth staying up for! That was pure class!]
[Can Mourinho start Ling next week? It's not satisfying enough seeing him on the bench!]
[Probably not, but the future looks promising. What a talent.]
...
While fans were passionately discussing, the match had already resumed.
With a two-goal lead, United didn't fall back.
Mourinho knew they couldn't cede the central space, so they pushed forward.
In the 82nd minute, both teams made substitutions.
United brought on Herrera for Mkhitaryan to bolster the defense and free up Pogba.
The change worked instantly.
Ling received a pass from Matic on the left wing, looked up, and decisively accelerated.
Naughton, the Swansea full-back, was already exhausted from chasing Rashford for 70 minutes.
Ling's absolute speed wasn't top-tier, but against a tired defender, it was more than enough.
Naughton gritted his teeth and turned to chase, but he didn't expect Ling to suddenly stop, leaving him completely wrong-footed.
Ling adjusted his posture and, using the space, whipped a powerful right-footed cross toward the edge of the box.
Lukaku, already in position, muscled off two defenders and headed the ball back.
Pogba surged forward from deep and, meeting the perfect setup, swung his right leg high.
BOOM!
A powerful shot sent the ball flying into the top right corner.
An unstoppable strike.
0:3!!!
Fabianski could only collapse onto the turf.
Pogba, who had been bottled up all match, released his frustration with an excited knee slide.
Ling jogged over, exchanging hugs and high-fives.
Yet he felt a tinge of regret.
'My balance is still off,' he thought. 'If my left foot were stronger, I could have driven to the byline instead of stopping to cross. And that cross was average; Lukaku did all the work.'
He had to work harder.
The remainder of the match was one-sided.
United frequently passed the ball to Ling, who tormented the exhausted Naughton, drawing in defenders and creating space.
Finally, the referee blew the full-time whistle.
Swansea 0-3 Manchester United!
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Changing the broadcaster and reaction.