Super Wingstorm

Even standing in the players’ tunnel of the Amsterdam Arena, Yang Yang still couldn’t believe he was in the starting lineup.

This was his first start in the two-plus months since he’d joined the first team. And of all matches, it was for the crucial Champions League round of sixteen home game against Arsenal. If it weren’t for the living, breathing teammates and opponents standing all around him, he would have thought he was dreaming.

The head referee from Sweden, Anders Frisk, stood at the front of the line. He was chatting with Ajax’s Ibrahimovic and Arsenal’s Lars Engberri. The three of them were clearly familiar with each other, talking and laughing happily.

Ajax was sticking with their 4-3-3 formation. The Goalkeeper was Robbent. The back line consisted of Maxwell, Escude, Heitinga, and Talabesi. In the midfield, De Jong played a holding role behind Van der Vaart and Sneijder. The front trident was a combination of Wesley Sonck, Ibrahimovic, and Yang Yang.

This was the first start of Yang Yang’s professional career.

Without a doubt, Ronald Koeman had placed the heavy burden of securing points at home on Yang Yang’s shoulders. Yang Yang himself wasn’t sure if he could carry that weight; all he could do was step onto the pitch and give it his all.

Arsenal was also sticking to their usual 4-4-2 formation. The Goalkeeper was the German player Lehman. The back line was Kerri, Campbell, Kolo Toure, and Lauren. The midfield, from left to right, was Pires, Vieira, Edu, and Lars Engberri. The two forwards up front were Henry and Reyes.

As it turned out, the Brazilian defensive midfielder Gilberto Silva ultimately couldn’t make it for this match; he wasn’t even on the squad list. Ashley Cole was also still recovering from an injury. As for Bergkamp, who famously never flew to away games, he hadn’t made the trip home either, much to the disappointment of many Ajax fans.

Although he had come on as a substitute many times, Yang Yang was still nervous about his starting debut. He knew what tonight’s match meant for Ajax.

Arsenal was too strong. If Ajax couldn’t secure a victory at home, their chances in the away game were practically zero.

For Arsenal, this was a two-legged knockout tie. But for Ajax, both matches were finals.

Glancing over at Arsenal’s stars, Yang Yang saw Henry. He looked almost identical to the simulated Henry from the Super Training, which made him break into a slight smile.

As if sensing his gaze, Henry happened to turn his head at that exact moment. Seeing the young Asian player from the Ajax Team smiling at him, he immediately returned a modest smile of his own, as if to say, ’Good luck, kid!’

The world’s number one defensive midfielder, Vieira, was huge. To Yang Yang, he looked like a towering mountain. ’It’s hard to imagine anyone stopping a player like that once he starts rampaging across the pitch,’ he thought.

The center-back Sol Campbell was just as massive, and equally intimidating.

Pires had long hair and looked like an elegant artist. His smile was especially charming, just as poised as his style of play on the field.

Looking at this group of legendary stars, Yang Yang truly found it hard to believe he was about to compete on the same field as them.

’Oh god, can we actually win this?’

’These are all world-class stars!’

But reason quickly took over. Yang Yang took a few deep breaths to calm himself, constantly reminding himself that once they stepped onto the soccer field, they weren’t world-class superstars anymore. They were mortal enemies. There was only one way to think about them: take them down.

At this thought, Yang Yang closed his eyes, composing his emotions.

He needed a moment of quiet.

......

......

”To all the Ajax fans here at the Amsterdam Arena, the highly anticipated first leg of the Champions League round of sixteen knockout stage is about to begin!”

”Let’s give the loudest round of applause to welcome our Ajax warriors!”

At the stadium announcer’s call, the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

”Walking out behind head referee Anders Frisk is our captain, Rafael van der Vaart!”

The fans all clapped vigorously while chanting Van der Vaart’s name.

”Next up is our Goalkeeper, Robbent!”

The fans once again burst into applause, shouting the player’s name.

”Sneijder... Escude... Heitinga... Maxwell... Talabesi... Sonck... Ibrahimovic... De Jong...”

As Yang Yang, walking at the very end of the line, followed De Jong out of the players’ tunnel, the entire stadium suddenly fell silent.

”Oh, my God, and the last one... our golden twelfth man, Yang Yang!!”

The silence was fleeting. The entire stadium erupted in cheers no less thunderous than those for their captain, Van der Vaart. Over fifty thousand fans chanted Yang Yang’s name in unison, making his blood boil with excitement on the pitch.

He loved this feeling of being cheered by countless fans, of being adored by everyone.

Seeing the crowd give such a massive reaction to a young player, not only were Wenger and the others on the visiting team’s bench taken aback, but even the home team’s Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll, as well as Technical Director Van Gaal sitting in the stands, were shocked.

No one had expected that, without them even realizing it, Yang Yang had gained such influence in the hearts of the Ajax fans.

”Over the past few months, Yang Yang has brought us huge surprises every time he’s come on as a substitute. Every one of his appearances has changed the course of the game. Every time we see him standing on the sideline, all of us Ajax fans can’t help but feel a surge of hope, because we know he never lets us down.”

”Tonight, we are also very much looking forward to seeing if Yang Yang, in his first start for the first team, can continue his outstanding performances as our golden super-sub and do his part to help us defeat Arsenal at home.”

......

......

With a blow of referee Frisch’s whistle, Ajax’s three front-line players all charged toward Arsenal’s back line.

Wesley Sonck and Yang Yang were the fastest. One on the left and one on the right, they sprinted toward the Gunners’ defensive flanks, while Ibrahimovic ran for the center.

It wasn’t just the front trident; the three midfielders and the entire back line were also pushing up quickly.

”Ajax has started very aggressively, pressing Arsenal’s back line right from the kickoff. It’s obvious they’re trying to seize the initiative early on. The visiting Arsenal seems a bit unprepared.”

”Campbell passes to Toure, and Toure sends it long with a big kick.”

”Heitinga clears it with a header. Vieira gets to the loose ball first and heads it back upfield.”

”Escude heads it to the left flank, and Maxwell gets the ball.”

After successfully winning the ball, Ajax showed no interest in holding possession. Maxwell quickly surged forward along the left flank, preparing to launch an attack.

But Arsenal was clearly well-prepared for an away game. The moment they lost the ball, they quickly fell back to form a tight defensive line. However, Ajax had also committed men forward, and Van der Vaart ran over to provide support.

Wesley Sonck cut inside, pulling Lauren with him to open up the left wing. Maxwell moved up to receive a pass from Van der Vaart and immediately lofted a curling cross into the box, but Campbell was quick to clear it with a header.

Although Ajax’s first attack reached the penalty area, it failed to create a real threat.

But the ball didn’t travel far and was still inside Arsenal’s half.

The home team’s all-out pressing attack had somewhat disrupted Arsenal’s plans. But the Gunners were battle-hardened, and their players on the pitch quickly adjusted, keeping their three 4-4-2 lines compact and organized, giving Ajax few opportunities.

However, Arsenal did attempt one counter-attack, but unfortunately, the pass was overhit and collected by Goalkeeper Robbent, who had come off his line.

After this back-and-forth exchange, both teams’ starting tactics became clear.

The home side, Ajax, wanted to overwhelm Arsenal in one go. Their momentum was so fierce that even the Gunners had to back off and adopt a more stable, defensive posture. But everyone knew that Ajax couldn’t maintain this kind of pressure for long.

If their opening gambit didn’t work, they would soon have to cede control of the game to Arsenal.

Yang Yang was constantly running up front, pressing, harassing, and receiving the ball to support his teammates. But Arsenal’s defense was meticulous. Kerri didn’t give Yang Yang many chances, and with Vieira and Edu anchoring the middle, there wasn’t much space for him to run into. He was mainly concentrated near the sideline, but whenever he received the ball, there was always a defender nearby.

Facing the formidable Arsenal, Yang Yang didn’t dare to be reckless. When there was no opening, he tried to pass more, run more, and patiently wait for an opportunity. He gave Kerri no chance to snatch the ball from his feet.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Ajax’s attacks were mainly concentrated on the left flank. Wesley Sonck, Maxwell, and Van der Vaart repeatedly probed down that side, but they found it difficult to get the ball into the final third.

Squeezed between Campbell and Toure in the center, Ibrahimovic couldn’t get on the end of any passes from the midfield or defense.

Wesley Sonck, on the other hand, was constantly pulling wide, dropping back, and cutting inside. His range of movement was vast and he was very active, but he struggled to find any real openings.

Just like now, he had just pulled out to the left flank to receive a pass when Lauren was already in front of him. Edu also moved over to double-team him. Sonck immediately chose to pass the ball back to Van der Vaart while making a diagonal run into the box, but Lauren stuck to him like glue.

Van der Vaart was being marked by Edu. Sneijder surged forward, raising his hand for the ball. But as soon as he received it, Vieira was already on him, forcing him to turn and shield the ball. He was even pushed from behind by Vieira and nearly fell, quickly passing the ball back to Van der Vaart.

Edu came charging over aggressively, prompting Van der Vaart to quickly pass back to De Jong. De Jong immediately distributed it to Yang Yang on the right wing, a pass that was almost intercepted by Pires.

Yang Yang quickly dropped back from the right wing to receive the ball. With his first touch, he poked the ball past Pires and moved toward the center. But Kerri was blocking his path. Not wanting to be sandwiched by the two French players, Yang Yang used [God’s Vision] to see that Ibrahimovic had pinned Campbell. He immediately chose to pass the ball into the space behind Kerri.

Ibrahimovic chased the ball out of the box to the right side, drawing both Kerri and Campbell with him. Wesley Sonck made a diagonal run into the box toward the penalty spot, attracting Kolo Toure’s attention, ready to rush the goal for a tap-in. Meanwhile, Van der Vaart was positioned at the top of the penalty arc, also prepared to charge in for a shot at the far post.

At that moment, Yang Yang could see with perfect clarity that the entire right half of Arsenal’s penalty area was completely empty—not a single defender was there. It was both unbelievable and incredibly exciting. Without a moment’s hesitation, he chose to sprint into the space, not forgetting to shout at the Swedish Striker.

”Nine o’clock!”