Super Wingstorm

The Monaco fans at Louis II Stadium were unwilling to cheer for Ajax or applaud Yang Yang.

The reason was simple: they hated this team, and they hated this man.

In last season's Champions League semi-final, Yang Yang had helped Ajax defeat Monaco 3-0 at home in the first leg. Then, in the second leg, with Galasek having been sent off with a red card, it was Yang Yang who assisted Ibrahimovic's goal, forcing a 1-1 draw with Monaco.

It could be said that the second-leg goal completely shattered Monaco's morale. The subsequent red cards for their captain, Jouli, and for Rijkaard only deepened the wound.

Carrying the grudge from last season, the Monaco fans had been booing Ajax and applauding Valencia since the start of the match. This was their way of getting revenge on Ajax and Yang Yang.

The match was unfolding just as they had hoped. Ajax's right flank was rendered practically useless under the assault of Vicente, one of Europe's top wingers. Meanwhile, Valencia's duo of Baraja and Albelda, a world-class pair of defensive midfielders, had Ajax's midfield completely suppressed.

After selling off five players, the Eredivisie team's strength had plummeted.

Within the Netherlands, their fierce reputation was still intact, but in European Football, Ajax had long since been relegated to a second-rate, or even third-rate, club.

Two of Vicente's attacks from the left flank tore through Ajax's defense, and goals from Baraja and Di Vaio plunged Ajax into an abyss of despair.

"The Tinkerman," Ranieri, was considered by many to be one of the most underrated managers in European Football, and in tonight's tactical battle at Louis II Stadium, he had completely suppressed the "Young Marshal," Ronald Koeman.

With the defense behind him weak, Yang Yang was forced to frequently track back to help out. Compounded by the loss of control in midfield, he found it difficult to get any opportunities.

In fact, if not for Valencia's poor finishing, they might have lost by a much larger margin.

The enormous gap in overall strength between the two teams was simply not something Yang Yang could change on his own.

The Monaco fans were delighted to see Ajax losing.

Starting from the sixty-sixth minute, after Valencia scored their second goal, the Bat Army had already begun to deliberately slow the pace.

They had a La Liga match to return to, and with victory all but secured, there was no need to keep fighting to the death with Ajax. So, Ranieri quickly subbed on Amel for Corradi to strengthen their control of the midfield.

That was the gap.

Amel, hailed as a genius from Argentina, could only make the bench for this Valencia squad. Every single position at Valencia was occupied by an international player from a major footballing nation.

But even with Valencia's victory practically in the bag, Yang Yang still hadn't given up.

...

...

Yang Yang ran tirelessly in the attacking third, moving up and down the pitch, fighting for every single chance.

He felt as if he were back in the Almere Youth Academy. He felt like a headless fly, just running, charging, and waiting for an opportunity anywhere on the pitch.

He was keenly aware of the difference in strength between the two sides.

As a top-tier team in La Liga, having reached the Champions League final twice and beaten out teams like Barcelona, Deportivo La Coruña, and Real Madrid to win the La Liga title last season, Valencia was a whole level above Ajax.

It was just like his teammates back at the Almere Youth Academy, who had been a level above him in skill.

Sometimes, there was simply nothing you could do but keep running.

He knew there was no team in the world that never lost, but he really didn't want his team to lose like this.

'To be suppressed so miserably for the entire match, without managing a single decent attack... if we really lose like this, what a painful blow it would be for Ajax?'

Perhaps inspired by Yang Yang, or perhaps because every player was bottling up a bellyful of frustration, the Ajax players gradually reignited their fighting spirit. The core group of homegrown Ajax players, led by Sneijder, De Jong, and Heitinga, began to coordinate with Yang Yang, pressing Valencia together.

The moment they saw an opportunity, they launched a counterattack.

Kulo Torres, the Portuguese full-back, had been entrusted by Ranieri with a crucial task for this match: to shadow Yang Yang every step of the way.

Combined with the short but fast and aggressive left-sided center-back Marchena, the duo of Baraja and Albelda—hailed by many pundits as a top-tier European defensive midfield pairing—and an Italian manager, Ranieri, who excelled at organizing a defense, Yang Yang hadn't been able to get a single opportunity all game.

But he could clearly feel that the Valencia players were starting to conserve their energy.

They had victory in the bag; they had already won. As the final whistle approached, they began to let their guard down.

'The chance is getting closer.'

Yang Yang kept encouraging himself.

Although he was rational and knew an opportunity might not come, he kept running anyway.

'If I run, there might be a chance. If I don't, there's no chance at all.'

He could feel his stamina rapidly draining, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.

Seventy minutes... seventy-five minutes... eighty minutes... eighty-five minutes...

Time flew by.

Valencia no longer pressed their attack. It seemed they were satisfied with the 2-0 scoreline, intending to save their strength for La Liga.

That was their first match of the season, a home game against Villarreal that they couldn't afford to lose.

If the match ended now, it would be exactly what they wanted.

But Yang Yang and his teammates clearly thought otherwise, and so did someone on the Valencia team.

During one instance when Amel had the ball and Sneijder was tracking back, the Argentinian midfielder tried to use his individual skill to break past De Jong.

He needed to put on a show for Ranieri, to prove his worth and fight for a starting spot.

But just as Amel was attempting to get past De Jong, the back-tracking Sneijder suddenly appeared from behind, poking the ball away from his feet and tripping the Argentinian attacking midfielder in the process.

But the referee didn't call a foul.

After getting the ball, De Jong quickly sent a low pass forward, looking directly for Yang Yang.

Yang Yang had his back to the goal with Kulo Torres right behind him. He knew he couldn't receive the ball and turn.

The moment he did, the Portuguese would be all over him.

And his only advantage was his speed.

In that instant, Yang Yang's mind was incredibly calm, as if the very air around him had frozen. All he could see was the approaching ball and Kulo Torres behind him.

He gently lifted his right foot and, facing the incoming ball, flicked it with the outside of his boot. The fast-moving ball shot past his right side as he simultaneously spun to his left, shrugging off Kulo Torres and chasing after it at top speed.

...

"A beautiful knock-on past the defender from Yang Yang!"

"Ajax launches a counterattack! Yang Yang on the right flank knocks it past his man and breaks through Valencia's defense!"

...

Yang Yang gritted his teeth, caught up to the ball at top speed, and charged straight for the goal.

Valencia's recovery pace was also extremely fast. Marchena was the first one back in position, and facing the charging Yang Yang, he immediately wanted to get close, hoping to use his body to block the skinny Chinese player.

But before he could get near, Yang Yang suddenly came to a sharp stop and cut the ball inside, startling Marchena into changing direction to block him.

But Yang Yang cut back again with his left foot, changing direction once more. He dummied past Marchena and successfully broke into the penalty area with the ball.

...

"The Pendulum Move!!"

"Yang Yang has broken past Marchena! He's into the box, one-on-one with the Goalkeeper, Canizares!"

...

Canizares was incredibly experienced. The moment Yang Yang broke past Marchena, he decisively rushed out from his goal line. His timing was perfect as he spread his arms as wide as possible to block Yang Yang's shooting angle.

But he was, after all, thirty-four years old. His physical reactions were a bit slower than a younger goalkeeper's, and at only 1.81 meters tall, his reach was slightly lacking. So, before he could close the distance, Yang Yang executed a gentle chip.

The ball sailed over Canizares's head, tracing an arc as it slowly dropped towards the goal behind him.

Valencia's other center-back, Navarro, sprinted back to the goal line, trying to clear the shot. But unfortunately for him, the end result was him and the ball crashing over the goal line together.

TWEEET!!!!

"The goal stands!"

"Yang Yang! Yang Yang!!"

"In the eighty-eighth minute, Yang Yang scores a goal for Ajax!"

"This is a reward for all his hard work throughout the match."

"An absolutely brilliant individual performance! Yang Yang single-handedly broke through Valencia's defense."

"One to two! Ajax pulls one back."

"Even the Monaco fans in the stadium are giving him a roaring round of applause."

"Indeed, Ajax's overall strength is inferior to Valencia's, and Yang Yang was under tight marking for the entire game."

"Ranieri repeatedly stated before the match that shutting down Yang Yang was Valencia's number one defensive priority."

"And yet, this seventeen-year-old starlet has once again left everyone shocked."

"His fighting spirit is truly tenacious. We can see that under his inspiration, even when two goals down and facing a huge gap in strength, the Ajax players also refused to give up."

"This young prodigy has left a deep impression."

"The match is about to end, and Ranieri is also preparing to make a substitution. The outcome of the match is basically decided."

"But Ajax's performance is still commendable, especially that of the young Yang Yang. His tenacious spirit has left a deep impression on us, and this late goal gives us a whole new appreciation for his skill."

"You could say that Yang Yang created the only bright spot for Ajax in this match. There is honor in his defeat."

...

The referee finally blew the final whistle.

One to two. Ajax had lost the European Super Cup.

The moment the match ended, Yang Yang collapsed onto the grass, completely spent. He had given it his all.

But unfortunately, Ajax still lost.

"Well played." Vicente walked over, panting, taking off his jersey as he approached and offering it to Yang Yang.

Swapping jerseys was a sign of Vicente's approval of Yang Yang's performance in the match.

"Thanks." Yang Yang got up, took off his own jersey, and handed it to the Bat Army's left winger.

This was a winger recognized throughout Europe as a genius. At nineteen, Valencia had spent 27 million euros to sign him, and he was the primary reason for Valencia's La Liga and UEFA Cup titles last season.

"Keep it up." Vicente was only twenty-three himself, not much older, and didn't really know how to console someone.

Watching him walk away, then looking down at the number fourteen Valencia jersey in his hand, Yang Yang couldn't help but clench his right fist tightly around the fabric.