Super Wingstorm

Although Babel’s kick was intentional, he had instinctively held back some of his strength.

It certainly hurt the moment it landed, but he recovered quickly. After hopping in place a few times, Yang Yang rejoined the match. He had already devised a countermeasure.

As he passed Henk Demyer and Nick, Yang Yang briefly explained his idea.

Both teammates were well aware that Yang Yang was the team’s offensive spearhead. Their job was to make that spearhead sharper and more lethal, so naturally, they agreed to support him unconditionally.

The match resumed, and both sides quickly forgot about Babel’s yellow card and the minor scuffle between the players.

Yang Yang continued to track back diligently to defend the midfield, patiently waiting for an opportunity.

Perhaps provoked by the recent yellow card, Babel played with more impatience up front. This caused some problems for the Ajax attack, which was built around him.

It was clear that this offensive centerpiece was unreliable, especially when he was throwing a tantrum.

Although Almere was the weaker team, after several days of targeted defensive training, John Reep had managed to shape the team’s defensive structure. This played a crucial role in dealing with the Ajax offense.

Everyone meticulously carried out their assignments. On the right side of the midfield, Yang Yang actively participated in defense, patiently waiting for his chance.

With Ajax dominating possession, Emmanuelson, who had the heart of an attacker, began to frequently push forward.

More than being just a left-back, he dreamed of being like his predecessor, Davis—galloping down the left flank with his flowing dreadlocks, able to attack and defend, and occasionally slipping into the box to deliver a fatal blow.

’That would be so damn cool.’

Time ticked by. Ajax continued to dominate the match, launching wave after wave of attacks, but they could never break through Almere’s defense. The home team was forced to retreat and defend desperately from within their own thirty-meter zone.

It seemed to be only a matter of time before Almere’s goal was breached.

But this seemingly inevitable course was suddenly disrupted in the thirty-ninth minute.

The chaos stemmed from an unexpected turn of events on the pitch.

Center-forward Babel pulled out to the left of the penalty area to receive a pass, but he failed to control it properly. An Almere center-back poked the ball away, and then Nick beat Ajax’s left winger Elmas to it, kicking it forward to Yang Yang.

Yang Yang, who had his back to the goal, didn’t move to receive the pass directly. Instead, as if he had eyes in the back of his head and knew no one was marking him, he spun around and chased after the ball’s trajectory.

The turnover sparked a counter-attack, and Maduro immediately rushed over to stop Yang Yang.

But unexpectedly, before Maduro could close him down, Yang Yang swept the ball sideways to Henk Demyer with the inside of his right foot, then accelerated and darted past Maduro.

In the split second Maduro was caught off guard, Henk Demyer quickly played the ball back. The two completed a beautiful one-two in the right-of-center channel. By the time Yang Yang collected the ball again, he had already crossed the halfway line and was closing in on Ajax’s thirty-meter zone.

The entire stadium let out a collective gasp.

In the past few matches, they had all seen how every one of Yang Yang’s direct runs with the ball had yielded incredible results. They were sure he wouldn’t disappoint them this time either.

Many fans in the stadium were even chanting Yang Yang’s name.

Yang Yang surged forward with the ball. The rapidly retreating Emmanuelson was at his side, and Ajax’s left-sided center-back, Vermaelen, was in front of him. Both were tough opponents, especially Vermaelen.

The center-back wasn’t tall, but he was very agile and had explosive power. Yang Yang had failed to get past him on several previous occasions.

Against an opponent like Ajax, an opportunity like this might only come a handful of times in a match. Yang Yang could not afford to squander it.

’But how can I handle a two-man press?’

Upon entering the thirty-meter zone, Yang Yang abruptly slowed his pace, letting Emmanuelson run past him.

The Ajax left-back was startled. He screeched to a halt, turned, and lunged at Yang Yang again.

But in that exact moment, Yang Yang suddenly accelerated, cutting the ball inside. He surged forward, leaving Emmanuelson lunging at empty air.

Vermaelen immediately moved to intercept, extending a foot to poke the ball away from Yang Yang’s left. But unexpectedly, Yang Yang suddenly pulled the ball back with his left foot, then nudged it gently to the right with his right foot, feinting a breakout down the outside.

The Belgium center-back’s reflexes were lightning fast, and his body was incredibly flexible. His attempted poke had just been a probe. The moment he saw Yang Yang change direction, he immediately turned to block the run down the outside.

But to his surprise, after the gentle tap with his right, Yang Yang took a few quick stutter-steps with his left to adjust, caught up to the ball, trapped it with his right foot, and pulled it back again. He had somehow managed to change direction twice in rapid succession within an incredibly tight space.

The sudden shift in direction created a sliver of space on Vermaelen’s right side. Yang Yang pushed the ball into the gap with his left foot and exploded forward, rushing past the defender.

The moment he was beaten, the Belgium center-back panicked. ’This is bad!’ He instinctively reached out to grab Yang Yang’s jersey. Even if he couldn’t get the ball, he had to stop the man. But Yang Yang seemed to have anticipated it, neatly sidestepping the grab and leaving him clutching at air.

The entire sequence of moves happened in the blink of an eye. All anyone saw was Yang Yang cutting inside past Emmanuelson, then using two rapid changes of direction to shake off Vermaelen, before suddenly accelerating and bursting through the gap between the two defenders with the ball.

At that moment, Yang Yang used the series of feints and drag-backs from [Ronaldo’s Charge].

He hadn’t yet perfected the move, but after cutting past Emmanuelson, Yang Yang knew the Pendulum Move wouldn’t fool Vermaelen. So, in a flash of inspiration, he used the rapid feints and drag-backs instead, and it worked wonders.

The stadium erupted in a thunderous roar of astonishment.

After bursting into open space, Yang Yang took long strides, knocking the ball ahead as he charged toward the Ajax penalty area at top speed.

Goalkeeper Sven Dabirimma charged out decisively. But near the penalty spot, he came face-to-face with the rapidly advancing Yang Yang, who completely fooled him with a Pendulum Move feint. After rounding the Goalkeeper, and before the other center-back could catch up, Yang Yang coolly slotted the ball into the empty net.

The moment the ball rolled into the net, the entire stadium erupted in a thunderous roar of celebration.

Elated, Yang Yang leaped up from the grass, spun around, and sprinted towards his teammates. He ran with his arms raised high, wildly cheering and letting out all his pent-up excitement. He made sure to shout especially loudly as he ran past Babel.

At that moment, he could clearly see the look of uncontainable rage on Babel’s face. ’So satisfying.’

The thousands of fans in the stadium were all chanting "Yang Yang" in unison.

His teammates swarmed him, embracing him tightly in the center of a jubilant huddle.

......

......

"A series of quick feints, drag-backs, and step-overs... It looks like he’s trying to master all of Ronaldo’s signature moves."

In the VIP box, Van Basten chuckled.

"Many players have used those moves, but Ronaldo is the most famous for them. Whether it was in the Eredivisie, La Liga, or even the notoriously defensive Serie A, Ronaldo’s combination of feints, drag-backs, and step-overs was a nightmare for every defender."

"Especially when combined with his breathtaking speed and explosive power."

Aside from the Almere chairman and fans, the most excited person in the stadium was undoubtedly Fred Arroyo.

He was the one who had recommended Yang Yang to Ajax. The better Yang Yang played, the more it validated his eye for talent as a scout.

Hearing Van Basten’s comment, Arroyo smiled. "He has two idols he worships most. One is you, Marco, and the other is Ronaldo."

You could tell how much Yang Yang admired Van Basten from the way he made a special trip to shake his hand before the match, and from the nervous look on his face. As for his admiration for Ronaldo, he showed it by learning the superstar’s signature skills on the pitch.

From the Pendulum Move to the series of feints and drag-backs, he was making rapid progress.

Van Basten didn’t doubt Arroyo’s words in the slightest. The reason was simple: those moves took practice.

In truth, performing those moves isn’t that difficult. Without any defenders, countless players can do them perfectly. But to use them on the pitch, to apply them as fluidly as Yang Yang just did, requires incredibly diligent, hard training. You have to drill the entire sequence until it becomes pure instinct.

All players start by imitating their idols; Van Basten was no exception. He believed Yang Yang was the same.

"This kid’s got something," Van Basten said with a smile.

......

......

With Yang Yang’s goal, Almere took a temporary one-nil lead over Ajax at home.

While the goal sent everyone at Almere into a frenzy of celebration, it also served as a harsh wake-up call for Ajax, especially Vermaelen and Emmanuelson.

Emmanuelson knew exactly what his mistake had been. He had pushed up too high, allowing Yang Yang to get the jump on him.

As for Vermaelen, he was berating himself for being so easily fooled by Yang Yang.

So, after conceding, the two learned their lesson and started marking Yang Yang tightly. Emmanuelson, in particular, stuck to him like glue, giving him absolutely no room to breathe.

The rest of the Ajax players launched a furious assault on Almere’s goal. But in their rush to equalize, they grew impatient. Babel, in particular, made frequent errors up front. As a result, Ajax failed to score before halftime and went into the break trailing one-nil.

But Almere’s situation wasn’t much better.

Having struggled to withstand Ajax’s powerful offensive for nearly fifty minutes, all the Almere players were physically exhausted. When Yang Yang returned to the locker room, some of his teammates were even suffering from cramps, a testament to how grueling the first half had been.

Head coach John Reep was also aware of his team’s limitations. Their first-half performance had pushed them to their absolute limit, and he could hardly demand more from his players. So, during the halftime break, he simply encouraged them to persevere and try to protect their one-nil lead.