Super Wingstorm

When the head referee, Ben Haft, blew the final whistle, a thunderous cheer erupted in the Amsterdam Arena.

On the pitch, the Ajax players all raised their hands high, thanking all the fans for their support and appreciation.

The scoreboard displayed the final score of the nineteenth round of the Eredivisie.

Thanks to an own goal by the opposing midfielder Toda, and goals from Scola, Sneijder, and Sunk, Ajax secured a decisive 4-0 home victory over the Hague team. They maintained their one-point lead, staying ahead of their archrivals Eindhoven to continue leading the league table.

This also built up even more suspense for the upcoming top-of-the-table Eredivisie clash.

Soon, Ajax would host Eindhoven at their home stadium.

Given the current Eredivisie standings, this match in the twentieth round was bound to completely change the landscape of the title race. Whoever won would gain a crucial advantage on the path to the championship.

Because of this, Ronald Koeman didn’t field all his key players in this round. Instead, he made significant rotations. The young center-back Vermaelen even started in place of Escude, partnering with Heitinga, and his performance was quite commendable.

Core midfielder Sneijder had an assist and a goal in the first half, helping the team build a three-goal lead. De Jong, on the other hand, forced the own goal from the opposing midfielder Toda with a powerful long-range shot. The young Ajax players all put on brilliant performances.

Yang Yang came on as a substitute in the sixty-fourth minute, taking over the offensive duties on the right wing from Scola. In the seventy-ninth minute, after a brilliant dribble past a defender into the penalty area, he assisted Sunk in scoring a goal.

The Belgian forward had also won back the approval of the Ajax fans with his recent streak of goals.

But in another match played simultaneously, Eindhoven defeated Vitesse 3-0 at home with goals from John De Jong, Heise Linke, and Robben, continuing to put pressure on Ajax.

This made the upcoming marquee match of the twentieth round even more highly anticipated.

As Yang Yang was heading back to the locker room, he happened to spot his uncle Shen Ming and his wife in the family section. His cousin, Shen Yuzhu, and Wei Zheng, who had just flown back from China to the Netherlands, were also there. He was surprised to see that Wei Zhen from National Television was with them as well.

They were sitting in the packed stands, and if it weren’t for their loud shouts and vigorous waving, Yang Yang would never have been able to spot them.

The stadium was deafeningly loud and they were far apart, so there was no way to chat. Yang Yang gave them an apologetic wave before slipping into the locker room.

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After Coach Koman dismissed the team, Yang Yang immediately said goodbye to his teammates and went outside the Amsterdam Arena to find Shen Ming, Shen Yuzhu, and the others who were waiting for him.

There were still quite a few Ajax fans lingering around. Yang Yang was now a minor celebrity among the fanbase, and as soon as he appeared, many fans ran over to ask for his autograph and a photo. He didn’t know how to refuse, so he fulfilled each of their requests.

After finally seeing off the enthusiastic fans, Yang Yang apologetically invited his uncle and the others to his home.

To make it easier to stay in touch, Yang Yang had taken some time off a couple of days ago to buy cell phones. The Nokia 7610 had just been released, and Yang Yang loved its stylish, avant-garde design. He bought three in one go—one for himself, and two for his cousin Shen Yuzhu and Wei Zheng. He also bought two high-end models suitable for middle-aged people for his uncle and aunt.

”I saw this phone in the papers back in China. It’s supposedly the first flagship phone with a patented design and a one-megapixel camera. It won’t be released in China for at least another six months,” Wei Zheng said, stroking the new, smooth phone, unable to put it down.

”These weren’t cheap, were they? Why buy such nice phones for no reason?” his cousin Shen Yuzhu chided gently.

That’s what she said, but the expression on her face betrayed her.

”Yeah, I saw in the papers they were guessing it would be over five hundred Euro, right?” Wei Zheng also felt it was a lavish gift.

Upon hearing how expensive it was, Shen Ming also grumbled at his nephew, feeling it was too much of a waste of money.

”What’s the big deal? My cousin and Brother Zheng ran so many errands for me back in China, I don’t even know how to thank you. And Uncle and Aunt, you’ve always taken care of me. If you’re going to be so polite with me, I’ll actually get mad,” Yang Yang said with a grin.

His current weekly salary was four hundred Euro, but his living expenses were very low. He spent most of his time at De Toekomst, and when he traveled with the team for away games, the club covered all his food and lodging. As a result, he had very few things to spend money on.

”You need to plan things out properly. People always say a player’s career is short, so you have to know how to manage the money you earn. Don’t squander it, you hear?” his uncle Shen Ming advised earnestly.

Yang Yang’s parents weren’t around, so as his uncle, he naturally had to take on the responsibility of guiding him.

”I know, Uncle,” Yang Yang agreed readily with a nod. But then he turned to Shen Yuzhu and said, ”Cousin, let me buy you a car.”

”Huh?” Shen Yuzhu was taken aback. ”What would I do with a car?”

”There’s only one car at home. Uncle needs it, and you need it, which is inconvenient. It’d be much better with a second one. Then it’ll be easier for you to drive Brother Zheng back to school too, right?” Yang Yang said with a grin.

Shen Yuzhu’s face instantly flushed red, and Wei Zheng, standing beside her, was also quite embarrassed.

Although their trip back to China had basically counted as meeting the parents, being called out so openly like this was still rather embarrassing.

”Don’t spend your money recklessly. Save it up and send it back home. Your father needs money too,” Shen Ming said.

’The four phones were already worth a couple thousand. Accepting a car on top of that would be outrageous.’

”Uncle, it doesn’t cost any money.”

”Doesn’t cost money?” Everyone was a bit baffled.

’Who gets a car for free these days?’

”Fiat sponsors our team, and they provide a car for every regular first-team player. I’m eligible to receive one soon, but as you know, I don’t have a driver’s license and I don’t really need one day-to-day. The sponsor has already delivered it, though, and it’s a waste to just leave it in the parking lot. So, I thought I’d give it to my cousin.”

When everyone heard there was such a perk, they were instantly tempted.

”How about this, Cousin? From now on, you’ll be my personal driver. Whenever I need something, I’ll just call you, and you have to be on call.”

Shen Ming and Shen Yuzhu glanced at each other, both thinking it was a good idea.

’Since the sponsor is giving it away for free, it would be a waste not to use it.’

”Me too. If you need anything in the future, just call me anytime. I’ll be on call as well,” Wei Zheng promised with a chuckle.

On their recent trip back to China, Wei Zheng and Shen Yuzhu had helped Yang Yang’s father, Yang Yongqiang, by pulling a lot of strings. They had finally taken care of the matters Yang Yang had entrusted to them, relieving him of his worries. This was Yang Yang’s way of giving them a generous gift in return.

Watching his younger brother get along so well with Shen Ming’s family, Wei Zhen was also very happy.

The report he had previously filmed in the Netherlands about Yang Yang at Ajax and Almere had generated a huge response after it aired in China. Especially as Yang Yang’s performance in the Netherlands kept improving, the expectations of the fans back home were also getting higher and higher.

”Right now, the performance of Chinese players abroad is generally lackluster. Although you’re not in one of the Four Major Leagues, Ajax is still a traditional powerhouse. And you played so brilliantly in the Champions League match against Bruges. Everyone is really looking forward to seeing you play.”

Yang Yang gave a calm and modest smile. ”That’s also because you filmed it so well.”

”We came back this time mainly to prepare for an upcoming Eredivisie broadcast.”

”You’re going to broadcast the Eredivisie?” Yang Yang was a little surprised.

”No, just the match against Eindhoven in the twentieth round. The deal is basically done. Everyone believes it’s going to be a battle of titans, and the fans back home are really looking forward to it. A few other domestic media outlets and websites came with me, and they’ll be doing live text and photo commentary online from the stadium.”

Perhaps seeing Yang Yang’s surprised expression, Wei Zhen quickly explained, ”Lately, the situation for Chinese players abroad hasn’t been great. In contrast, players from Japan and South Korea have been performing better and better in the European leagues, especially the two South Korean players at Eindhoven, Lee Yong-Soo and Park Ji-sung.”

Yang Yang knew of these two players. Lee Yong-Soo was a left-back and a key defender for Eindhoven. Park Ji-sung played several positions in the attack, and while it was difficult for him to challenge the position of the genius player Robben, he had also scored a few goals this season.

”When you played against Feyenoord before, the players from Japan and South Korea didn’t play. But this time against Eindhoven, Lee Yong-Soo will definitely play. He’s a left-back, and you’re a right-winger, so it’s shaping up to be a China-South Korea showdown in the Eredivisie.”

As soon as Wei Zhen finished speaking, Yang Yang scratched his head in embarrassment and said humbly, ”He’s a starter, and I’m just a substitute. I might not even get to play.”

”Even Koman says you’re Ajax’s ’golden twelfth man.’ You’ll definitely get to play.”

Seeing how much confidence Wei Zhen had in him, Yang Yang was at a loss for words.

Ajax versus Eindhoven—no encouragement was needed. Any player who got on the pitch would give it their all.

Ronald Koeman’s recent adjustments were all aimed at facing Eindhoven in peak condition, hoping to secure a home victory and extend their lead again. But Eindhoven was a tough nut to crack.

Hiddink had also been making adjustments in the last few games. If nothing unexpected happened, the golden trident of Heise Linke, Kezman, and Robben would start. Park Ji-sung probably wouldn’t, but Eindhoven’s left-wing attack would be ferocious.

The destructive power of the genius player Robben struck fear into the hearts of defenders throughout the Dutch football world.

The twenty-year-old starlet had already played four full seasons in the Eredivisie with Groningen and Eindhoven. His left flank had always been the team’s most important point of attack. Unfortunately for Ajax, their right flank was currently a problem. Talabesi was at the African Cup, which made the team’s right side a vulnerability.

Furthermore, with Escude injured, whether he could return in time for this match—and what his form would be like if he did—was another hidden danger for Ajax. After all, the back line would be facing top-tier Eredivisie scorers like Heise Linke and Kezman.

In comparison, the duel between Yang Yang and Lee Yong-Soo was unlikely to decide the outcome of the match.

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As it turned out, Yang Yang was only half right.

The match between Ajax and Eindhoven was incredibly difficult.

Both sides knew each other inside and out. Koman and Hiddink had both been preparing for a long time, deploying highly specific tactics to neutralize the other. This resulted in neither team getting any good opportunities. Stars like Robben, Van der Vaart, Ibrahimovic, and Kezman were all tightly marked by the opposition and failed to make a significant impact.

But just before the end of the first half, a foul by the deep-lying midfielder Galasek gave Eindhoven a free kick in the attacking third. Van Bommel assisted Heise Linke, who scored with a header, completely breaking the deadlock on the pitch.

This goal put Ajax on the back foot.