Super Wingstorm

The evening of July 17th, Beijing Workers’ Stadium.

In the opening match of the Asian Cup, the first game of the Group A stage, the host nation China was facing off against Bahrain.

In the fortieth minute of the match, the Chinese Team pushed forward in a major attack, leaving their backline exposed. They were caught by a long-ball counterattack, which ended with Bahrain’s number twenty-nine forward coming face-to-face with the goalkeeper and scoring with a chip shot.

The goal came as a complete shock, stunning every fan in the Workers’ Stadium.

Even the coaches and substitutes on the sidelines were just as astounded.

No one had expected that the Chinese Team, which had just been creating numerous threats in front of the opponent’s goal, would suddenly concede from a counterattack, allowing the visiting Bahrain Team to take the lead.

Waves of boos echoed throughout the stadium. The Chinese fans in attendance were clearly very unhappy with the result.

The National Team players on the pitch were also deeply demoralized.

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Yang Yang sat on the bench, silently watching the match. When he saw the opposing forward score, he could only shake his head in disappointment. It was an unexpected goal, but in a way, it also made perfect sense.

Arie Haan had once again fielded a 4-4-2 formation for this match. Three of the national players based abroad—Yang Yang, Sun Jihai, and Shao Jiayi—were all on the bench. It wasn’t until the thirty-second minute that Shao Jiayi was subbed on for an injured Li Xiaopeng.

Although it was a 4-4-2 on paper, Arie Haan’s tactical setup was actually quite nuanced.

Yan Song, on the left wing, served as the team’s main attacking outlet. Forwards Li Jinyu and Hao Dong were both instructed to roam and cover more ground. Meanwhile, the right wing was occupied by Zhao Junzhe, who was naturally a central midfielder, while Li Xiaopeng and the young Zhou Haibin held the center of the pitch.

This player selection might seem odd, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t surprising at all.

Arie Haan’s expectations for his midfielders and forwards were simple, identical to those at Ajax: press the opposition. As soon as possession was lost, they were to immediately counter-press. Even if they couldn’t win the ball back, they absolutely had to slow down the opponent’s attack.

Playing Zhao Junzhe on the right was a clear attempt to use his superior stamina, compared to Li Xiaopeng, to suppress the opponent’s left flank. However, he didn’t seem to grasp the coach’s intent, as he frequently drifted towards the center, leaving the right wing exposed.

The goal they had just conceded came from a long ball launched from deep on Bahrain’s left flank.

Wei Xin was a diligent player; he made no eye-catching plays, but he also made no mistakes. However, making attacking runs from deep was not his strong suit.

The press from the midfield and forward line was too passive, which directly led to an imbalance in the center of the park. Zhou Haibin was originally meant to play a role similar to Pirlo at AC Milan, utilizing his distribution and playmaking abilities. Instead, he was forced to devote more energy to defending—and unfortunately, defending was not his strong suit.

Looking at the first half as a whole, Arie Haan’s personnel choices were understandable, but they were undoubtedly a failure. The players simply couldn’t grasp his tactical intent, much like how Zheng Zhi had previously failed to understand the concept of a ball-playing center-back.

A high press and playing the ball out from the back are nothing new for Ajax, the Netherlands, or European football in general. But for Chinese football, these concepts were too advanced, and the players struggled to understand them.

Take Yang Yang, for example. He had previously spent a great deal of time just to give his roommate, Zheng Zhi, a basic understanding of the responsibilities of a ball-playing center-back.

Having played in the Toulon Cup and then participated in the National Team’s training camp, Yang Yang discovered something. In terms of pure individual technical skill, the Chinese players weren’t bad at all. The reason the team’s performance felt so poor was mainly due to deficiencies in their mentality and tactical literacy.

Tactical literacy isn’t something that can be developed overnight. It requires long-term accumulation through youth academies and domestic leagues. The National Team isn’t a place for player development. This is especially true now, after FIFA’s calendar reforms, which created a system where players are called up, play their matches, and are immediately dismissed. This model places even higher demands on a player’s existing tactical understanding.

As for their mentality, the first half against Bahrain was a perfect illustration of the problem.

Before the match, both Arie Haan and the Bahrain manager had emphasized that playing at home as the host nation was a double-edged sword. It could provide a boost, but the immense pressure could also crush the players. The first half was undeniable proof of the latter.

The players were too timid on the pitch, afraid to make mistakes and unable to play freely. Combined with their failure to execute the coach’s tactical plan, the team’s play became chaotic and disorganized. That was how Bahrain managed to catch them off guard and score.

Of course, beyond the issues with the National Team itself, the Football Association’s logistical preparations were also abysmal. Their opposition scouting was less professional than that of the Ajax Second Team; it was now difficult for Yang Yang to even properly simulate his opponents in the Super Training space.

The National Youth Team’s recent struggles at the Toulon Cup also highlighted this very problem.

Beyond scouting and logistics, there were also shortcomings in areas like the players’ dietary habits and professionalism. On both the National Youth Team and now the National Team, Yang Yang had seen teammates with poor eating habits. He could only pretend not to notice, while he himself strictly adhered to his professional regimen.

Perhaps it was due to his studious nature, but Yang Yang liked to think deeply about things. ’Everything I’m seeing,’ he concluded, ’indicates that China’s entire football industry is still in a very primitive stage, and no one is giving the problem the attention it deserves.’

As for National Team head coach Arie Haan, Yang Yang personally had a good impression of him. The man clearly had coaching ability and a very clear vision. He wanted to transplant the Ajax style of play onto the Chinese Team, but for the time being, it just wasn’t working.

’The tactics are too complex. Even I haven’t fully mastered them after a year at Ajax, so how could the National Team players be expected to?’

’Also, the National Team’s forward line lacks quality, and there isn’t enough awareness for pressing from the midfield and attack, especially when it comes to pressing as a cohesive unit.’

’This kind of press only works if the whole team does it together. One or two players pressing on their own is useless.’

’As for the strikers, you only need to look at the ones Ajax has relied on over the years to understand how dependent this system is on them. Even a powerful center-forward like Ibrahimovic couldn’t fulfill all of Ajax’s demands.’

Once he thought it through to this point, Yang Yang suddenly had a feeling. ’Arie Haan must know this too. After all, he’s been coaching the team for two years; it’s impossible he isn’t aware of the issues. And since the training camp started, the thing he’s emphasized the most and been strictest about is defense.’

’In other words, he knows what the Chinese Team’s problems are, and he’s working hard to find a solution.’

And at that moment, Yang Yang suddenly recalled something Arie Haan had once told him back in the Netherlands.

”Both the Chinese Team and I... we need you right now. Very, very much.”

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”Yang Yang!”

Just as Yang Yang was lost in thought, Arie Haan, who was standing in the technical area, suddenly turned and shouted fluently in Dutch.

”Go warm up! Quick! Then get to the locker room immediately. I’ll be waiting.”

With that said, he and Dejan immediately ducked into the players’ tunnel.

At that moment, the first half of the match ended.

The Chinese Team was trailing Bahrain one-nil.

Was Arie Haan going to make a substitution at halftime?

Many didn’t understand Arie Haan’s Dutch, but they could guess what he meant. All eyes turned to the National Team’s rookie, each person looking at him with a different expression.

From the first day Yang Yang joined the team, everyone knew that the player from Ajax in the Netherlands was handpicked by Arie Haan. It was only a matter of time before he would be given a key role.

And now, it seemed Arie Haan could wait no longer.

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Yang Yang paid no mind to the other players’ stares or thoughts. He ran onto the pitch for a quick warm-up, then immediately headed back to the locker room.

The moment he walked through the door, he noticed the atmosphere in the locker room was strange.

The mood between the players and the head coach was tense; it was obvious both sides were unhappy with each other.

This wasn’t uncommon in a locker room. When a team wins, everyone is friends. When they lose, the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. It’s the same for teams all over the world.

But the rule of the locker room was simple: what happens in here, stays in here. Not a single word gets out.

When Yang Yang entered, the expressions on many of the players’ faces visibly changed.

Yang Yang was a versatile player. He had made his debut at Ajax as a right winger, but he played as a striker at the Toulon Cup, and highlight reels had led many to believe he’d excel in midfield. No one could guess how Arie Haan was going to use him.

”Zhou, I’m sorry,” Arie Haan said apologetically to Zhou Haibin. ”We have to make a tactical adjustment for the second half.”

Zhou Haibin silently nodded, stood up, and walked toward the showers in the back.

Many in the locker room clearly didn’t believe Arie Haan’s reasoning—except for Yang Yang.

’The starting tactics for the first half were too complex, and the players didn’t execute them properly. An adjustment is definitely necessary.’

’Zhao Junzhe will move back to the center to play a holding role, Shao Jiayi will push up, and Yan Song and I will take the wings. This must be Arie Haan’s adjustment. In that scenario, Zhou Haibin is in an awkward spot. He’s not as good defensively as Zhao Junzhe, and he’s not as good going forward as Shao Jiayi. He had to be the one to come off.’

”Yang,” Arie Haan began, his voice low and serious, ”we gave their left side far too much freedom in the first half. For the second half, I need you to pin them back. Can you do that?”

Yang Yang nodded. ”I can.”

”I don’t need you to defend. I just need you to lock down their left flank, hard. Don’t let them play another long ball like that, understand?”

The goal conceded in the first half had come from a long pass from deep on the left flank. The defenders hadn’t closed down the passer in time, and with the Chinese Team pushed so far forward, their exposed backline was caught out.

”I understand,” Yang Yang nodded.

Arie Haan had faith in Yang Yang. He was well aware of Yang Yang’s performances at Ajax. He believed that even if others couldn’t grasp certain concepts, Yang Yang definitely could, because this was exactly how he played at Ajax.

The other players in the locker room, however, looked completely bewildered.

’That’s it?’

’They already made one sub for an injury in the first half, and now, during the break, they’re bringing on a seventeen-year-old? Are the tactical instructions really just those two sentences? Shouldn’t they be more detailed?’

”Coach, perhaps you should explain it to Yang Yang in more detail?” a member of the Chinese coaching staff asked with concern.

Arie Haan shook his head. ”No need. He understands.”

With that, he turned to give Shao Jiayi detailed instructions for the second half. He had decided to shift the team’s focus from attacking down the left to attacking down both flanks, since Yang Yang was also very strong at driving forward on the attack.

The Chinese coach still looked unconvinced. He turned to Yang Yang and asked, ”Are you sure you know what you need to do? If you don’t understand something, you have to ask. Get it straight, or you’ll be completely lost out on the pitch.”

Yang Yang knew the coach meant well, so he wasn’t offended. He gave a slight nod and said calmly, ”I really do understand.”