Super Wingstorm

Even on the bus ride back, Yang Yang was still deeply immersed in the feeling of scoring that goal. It was simply too exhilarating, leaving him unable to pull himself away from the memory for a long time.

At that moment, his mind had gone completely blank. He was in a daze after the goal, only snapping out of it when his teammates rushed over to celebrate with him. This became the main topic of conversation for everyone on the bus ride back.

On the soccer field, the strong are most revered.

Previously, everyone on the team knew that Yang Yang had only gotten into the Almere Youth Team through connections. On top of that, his poor performance after joining had seriously dragged the team down, resulting in him having no friends and always being excluded.

But ever since the last match against Omni-Bass, where Yang Yang came on as a substitute and assisted the team in scoring a goal, created several dangerous opportunities, and almost helped the team equalize or even stage a comeback, everyone had begun to see him in a new light. Coupled with his ever-improving performance in training, his teammates’ attitudes toward him had naturally changed drastically.

Even the captain, Henk Demyer, found it hard to keep ignoring Yang Yang after receiving his assists in two consecutive matches. Although he couldn’t bring himself to be friendly, he at least treated him professionally.

Listening to his teammates’ teasing, Yang Yang couldn’t help but reflect on his own rookie reaction after his first goal. It was so embarrassing. He’d even forgotten the celebration he had imagined countless times. ’What a rare opportunity to show off, and I missed it?’

Two assists and one goal earned Yang Yang a specific mention of praise from head coach Dick Van Puer after the match.

He was the only player the head coach singled out for praise. Although Henk Demyer had two goals and one assist, just as he wasn’t criticized by name after the last match against Omni-Bass, he didn’t receive any praise this time either.

This was hardly surprising. Brad Middle School’s overall strength was a notch below Baken Academy’s. With Yang Yang revitalizing the right wing, Henk Demyer naturally became more active in the center. In contrast, his lackluster performance in the previous tough match had cost the Almere Youth Team captain a lot of face.

After performing well in two consecutive matches, especially in the second half today where he was pushed forward and given free rein to attack, everyone understood clearly that Yang Yang’s status on the team was rising in tandem with his performance on the field.

Despite this, Yang Yang remained calm and level-headed.

He knew very well that everything he had achieved today was hard-won. It was all earned through his grueling daily training and his hard work on the pitch. If he slacked off because of this and his performance declined, all of it would disappear.

The coach’s praise, his teammates’ approval, and his first goal since arriving in the Netherlands—all of these things made him more determined. He vowed to train even harder and solidify his fundamentals as quickly as possible.

Time waits for no one, and the semester assessment was fast approaching.

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”Hey, look! It’s the Amsterdam Arena!”

A cry of surprise came from the front of the bus.

Hearing this, everyone immediately rushed to the front of the bus or to the windows on either side. They looked out, and wasn’t that a magnificent, modern stadium right up ahead?

Unlike other famous soccer stadiums in Europe, a road connecting east and west passed right through the middle of the Amsterdam Arena. The stadium stood like a behemoth in the middle of the road, allowing Yang Yang and the others on the bus to experience its magnificence up close. It was a truly shocking sight.

This was Yang Yang’s first time seeing this five-star stadium, the largest in the Netherlands, which could hold over fifty thousand people.

The bus driver deliberately slowed down so the players on board could get a clearer, more detailed look.

It was already evening, and the stadium lights were on. The surrounding area was bustling with noise and activity. Below the elevated road, countless fans were converging on the stadium from all directions. Tonight was Ajax’s home game.

”My god, there are so many people. They’re packed so tightly, like ants.”

”Tell me about it. I wonder how many fans will be in the stadium tonight?”

”A lot, for sure. The season is about to wrap up, so every match is crucial. It’s definitely going to be a full house tonight.”

”Wow, a stadium with fifty thousand people... What a spectacular sight that must be.”

Listening to his teammates’ exclamations of awe, Yang Yang felt the same way. Even after the bus had passed through the tunnel beneath the stadium, he continued to admire the beast-like structure from the rear window.

The stands filled with fifty thousand fans... what would a scene like that look like?

And the roar created by fifty thousand fans... how immense would that be?

”Ajax isn’t in a great position this season. There are three rounds left in the league, and they’re six points behind Eindhoven. The good thing is, tonight Eindhoven is playing away against Feyenoord, while Ajax is hosting Graafschap. Ajax is determined to win this one.”

”It won’t be easy. Mateja Kezman is the hottest top striker in the Netherlands right now, and in Europe for that matter. He’s scored thirty-three goals in thirty-one league matches and is the strongest contender for this season’s European Golden Boot Award. He’s on a roll. Add stars like Van Bommel and the young Robben, and it’ll be very difficult for Feyenoord to win at home.”

”I don’t think so. Feyenoord’s veteran Van Hooijdonk is in great form right now too. He’s scored twenty-six goals this season—still going strong despite his age. With players like Kalu and Van Persie, Feyenoord definitely has a fighting chance.”

”Feyenoord has basically no hope of winning the title anymore. They might not be willing to go all out to stop Eindhoven.”

”Not necessarily. The big three are mortal enemies. Since it’s a home game for Feyenoord, they’ll definitely give it their all.”

”I hope so. Ajax has to win tonight at all costs. It’s their only hope for a comeback to win the title.”

Almere was, after all, a satellite city of Amsterdam, so everyone was naturally more inclined to support Ajax. They would rather see Ajax make a comeback and win the title than see Eindhoven take it.

Yang Yang wasn’t very familiar with these two teams; he couldn’t recite their details like his teammates could. What he did remember was that both Eindhoven and Feyenoord had two Asian players. Eindhoven had Park Ji-sung and Lee Yong-Soo from South Korea, while Feyenoord had Xiaoye Sheng Er from Japan and Song Zhongguo from South Korea.

These four national team players from Japan and South Korea had all performed outstandingly in the Korea-Japan World Cup and were subsequently recruited by the two Dutch giants. However, aside from Xiaoye Sheng Er, the other three weren’t regular starters yet, but they were important substitutes for the first team.

’When will I get the chance to play for a giant club like them?’ Yang Yang asked himself.

This feeling intensified as he watched the Amsterdam Arena gradually recede behind them, his blood pumping with excitement.

’What would it feel like to play in a stadium with fifty thousand people?’

The conversation on the bus gradually shifted to Ajax’s match tonight, as it was crucial to the Eredivisie title race this season.

Although Ajax was a team of mostly young players, their overall strength was not weak. The team’s biggest star was the local Dutch prodigy, Van der Vaart, who, along with Van Persie and Robben, was hailed as one of the Netherlands’ ”New Three Musketeers.” Despite being only nineteen, he was already the captain of Ajax and was widely recognized throughout Europe as a future top-tier superstar.

Besides Van der Vaart, Ajax’s midfield and attack featured Swedish striker Ibrahimovic, South African player Pinaar, and Dutch winger Van der Meede, as well as rookies Sneijder and De Jong. The defense also boasted new-generation stars like Maxwell, Talabesi, Heitinga, and Qi Wu. The entire team was brimming with talent.

Head coach Ronald Koeman was also a famous Dutch manager. After winning the title last season, Ajax competed on two fronts this season. In the Champions League, they faced strong European teams like Inter Milan, Lyon, Valencia, Arsenal, and Rome, breaking through two consecutive group stages. They were ultimately eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing to AC Milan, who went on to reach the Champions League final.

It was precisely because they were fighting on two fronts and had an impressive run in the Champions League that Ajax’s performance in the domestic league was somewhat inconsistent. They were eventually overtaken by the more stable Eindhoven. However, since their Champions League campaign ended in April, Ajax had been fighting hard to catch up.

Thinking of this, Yang Yang couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy and longing.

This group of young players at Ajax wasn’t much older than him. Sneijder and De Jong were only three years his senior, yet they were already key players for a Champions League quarterfinalist team. Meanwhile, Yang Yang was still struggling to survive in a low-level team. The disparity was quite disheartening.

But Yang Yang quickly suppressed these chaotic thoughts. He knew very well that the only thing he needed to do now was to improve his own skills as quickly as possible. He believed that with the help of the Super Training, he would definitely get the chance to compete on the same field as these stars one day.

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For the players of the Almere Youth Team on the bus, Ajax was so close, yet a world away.

Discussing the stars of Ajax was like talking about another world.

The only thing that felt remotely close was the annual summer Talent Day selection event, where Ajax stars would attend to interact closely and compete with all the young players. This was a long-standing tradition at Ajax.

This meant that the three individuals who excelled in the Almere semester assessment would have the honor of getting up close with these stars, and if they were even luckier, they might even get to play alongside them.

But all of this was still too distant for Yang Yang, and he didn’t have the mental energy to pay attention to such things.

For example, Ajax’s technical director, the decorated and renowned manager Leo Benhak, was leaving. Rumor had it that he was involved in a sex scandal with a female secretary at the club. The story was spreading like wildfire, forcing him to flee to Mexico. Now, everyone was speculating about who would take over as Ajax’s new technical director.

Then there was the story about the striker Ibrahimovic being denied the captain’s armband, which left him very unhappy. He aired his grievances to the media and even threatened to leave Ajax at the end of the season.

But these were either media speculation or tabloid gossip, and Yang Yang wasn’t interested.

The only piece of news that caught his attention was something a teammate saw in the newspaper. It said that Van Basten had successfully passed his coaching license exams and would officially become the head coach of the Ajax reserve team in July.

This was the first time Yang Yang had heard news about his idol.

Apparently, he had started his coaching training last August and had been interning at Ajax since then.

’It’s a shame I wasn’t born twenty years earlier to play on the same field as Van Basten. But it would be an amazing thing to be lucky enough to play under him.’

But the thought flashed through Yang Yang’s mind and was gone. Even he felt it was unrealistic.

Right now, the most important thing for him was to first establish a firm foothold at Almere. That was what truly mattered.