Super Wingstorm

Warrendan prioritized offense over defense. Their back four held a high line, and left-back Paul Quist was a potent weapon on the attack, often pushing so far forward that he left the two center-backs, Gerard Afies and Henny Schelder, exposed.

While the opponent had possession, Yang Yang made a point of constantly pressuring their center-backs as part of his strategy.

When he saw a teammate win the ball back in their own half and right-back Nick launch a long ball forward, he instantly spun around without a second thought, shooting like an arrow from a bow into the space behind Warrendan’s defensive line.

Every time, he sprinted at his top speed, holding nothing back.

Afies and Schelder were prepared, constantly backpedaling as they judged where the ball would land.

This time, they only had to retreat to around the halfway line before they headed the descending ball clear and back to midfield.

After successfully clearing the ball with a header, Afies glanced back at Yang Yang, who had sprinted into the thirty-meter area before finally stopping, panting as he trudged back. Afies’s eyes were filled with mockery, as if to say, ’Why are you even running? Did you really think the ball could get past us?’

Yang Yang paid no mind to the proud Netherlands center-back’s thoughts. He quickly retreated and resumed his active pressing and harassment up front, using the opportunity to recover some of his energy.

He had already made several sprints like that one in the second half, but every single one had failed.

Except for one time when he was offside, all the others failed because of poorly placed passes from his teammates.

Of course, he couldn’t blame his teammates for it. The midfield and defense were under immense pressure. Over seventy minutes had passed, everyone was exhausted, and they were all just barely hanging on.

But Yang Yang knew with certainty: if just one of those passes connected, he would score a goal.

He believed that sooner or later, his teammates would get a ball past Warrendan’s defense.

Soon, they won the ball back in their own half again, but this time the long clearance struck an opponent. The ball failed to leave the danger zone and instead caused chaos inside their own thirty-meter area, forcing the Goalkeeper to rush out and smother it.

Everyone on the Almere side broke out in a cold sweat.

Warrendan could see their opponents’ desperation and inability to fight back. Already leading by a goal, they eased off the relentless pressure they’d applied in the first half and at the start of the second, but they still maintained firm control of the match.

Yang Yang kept running tirelessly up front, constantly probing for an opening, patiently waiting for a chance.

Afies and Schelder were thoroughly annoyed with this constantly running Chinese player. They had marked him closely at first, but after seeing he posed no real threat, they gradually stopped tracking his every move.

But just at that moment, Almere’s defense suddenly won the ball back again.

Henk Demyer won the ball back with a tackle, poking it away from the feet of the opposing striker, Van Sane. After gaining possession, the Almere center-back looked up and immediately hoofed the ball forward.

Yang Yang, positioned upfield, had been waiting for this chance. The moment he saw his teammate boot the ball long, he took off like a gust of wind, rocketing past the two center-backs.

Afies and Schelder were startled and immediately began backpedaling. Afies, in particular, after crossing back over the halfway line, predicted where the ball would drop. He secured his position and leaped high into the air, intending to head the ball back to midfield yet again.

But whether it was due to exhaustion, a bad plant on his jump, or a misjudgment of the ball’s trajectory, he completely missed it!

A collective GASP of shock rippled through the stadium. Everyone was stunned.

The ball flew quickly over Afies’s head, landing inside Warrendan’s thirty-meter area.

As Yang Yang sprinted, he used [God’s Vision] to monitor the field, especially the two center-backs and the Goalkeeper. Out of the corner of his eye, he tracked the incoming ball. When he saw Afies actually miss the header, he was ecstatic.

He finally caught up to the ball. This was by far the best scoring opportunity of the second half; if he could just control it, he’d be one-on-one with the keeper.

Yang Yang knew his first touch wasn’t the best, so he opted for the safest method: a chest trap.

He turned his body at a forty-five-degree angle and used his chest to cushion the ball out in front of him, then quickly accelerated to catch up.

In the blink of an eye, he was closing in on the penalty area.

The opposing goalkeeper didn’t hesitate, choosing to abandon his goal and charge out.

The two figures converged near the penalty spot. Yang Yang initiated a Pendulum Move, feinting as if to cut right. The keeper dove to that side, but Yang Yang abruptly shifted his body, broke past on the left, and pushed the ball forward with the inside of his left foot.

The ball traveled in a straight line, hitting the back of the unguarded net.

Just as the ball crossed the line, the other Warrendan center-back, Schelder, finally caught up to Yang Yang. But by then, Yang Yang had already leaped into the air with a roar and turned to sprint toward his teammates.

One-one. The two sides were back on level footing.

The entire Warrendan squad was dealt a heavy blow. They never imagined that they would concede an equalizer on a counter-attack in the seventy-sixth minute.

Afies, in particular, was so filled with regret that he repeatedly pounded the turf. He knew he had to bear the primary responsibility for the goal. If he hadn’t been so overconfident and missed that header, how could Yang Yang have possibly gotten a one-on-one?

More importantly, before Yang Yang received the ball, both center-backs had left too much space between them and him.

But regardless, they had conceded, and they were responsible.

The celebrating Yang Yang sprinted past Afies and was mobbed by his ecstatic teammates. They celebrated wildly on Warrendan’s home pitch; after being dominated by their opponents for over an hour, they finally had their moment of triumph.

With this goal, they could leave Karas Stadium with their heads held high, no matter the final result.

But after the initial wave of celebration, Afies clearly heard Yang Yang, not far away, shouting and rallying his teammates.

”Alright, everyone, get back in position! It’s one-one! We still have time! We still have a chance!”

”Don’t settle for a draw! We want the win! We’re going for the comeback!”

”Tonight, we’re going to take down Warrendan, right here in Karas Stadium!”

His teammates seemed to be deeply inspired by him, and one by one, they joined in the cheering.

Afies, hearing this from a distance, gritted his teeth. He was beside himself with regret over his mistake, but even more than that, he was filled with resentment.

’A comeback?’

’In your dreams!’

...

...

Time ticked away, but the score remained tied at one-one.

Both teams had fought to the point of exhaustion, and neither could find an effective way to breach the other’s defense.

After Yang Yang’s surprise goal, Warrendan tightened their defense on him, making it nearly impossible for him to get another chance like that.

Warrendan still controlled the flow of the game. They even pushed their defensive line past the halfway mark to launch a furious assault on Almere’s back line. After the eightieth minute, even Yang Yang had to drop back into the midfield to defend.

The match had now entered a stage of pure attrition.

Whoever could endure would have a hope of winning; the side that broke or gave up first would surely be defeated.

The fans in the stands could feel the final moments approaching, and they roared their support, trying to rally the players of the home team, Warrendan.

Warrendan held the advantage in possession and played with more composure, controlling the ball between the halfway line and the thirty-meter area. As soon as they crossed into that zone, they would quicken the tempo of their attack. Almere, meanwhile, had to remain constantly vigilant, not daring to let their guard down for an instant.

Past the eighty-fifth minute, even the tirelessly energetic Yang Yang was heaving for breath, suffering immensely.

A match like this was undoubtedly exhausting, but it was also an incredibly valuable experience for his growth as a player.

Yang Yang remained focused on the match, but he was also using [God’s Vision] to observe the positioning and movements of both teams. He was learning a great deal, but he had no time to mull over the finer details; he’d have to wait and review the game with Old Ice later.

Right now, he was consumed by a single thought: ’How do we win this?’

Warrendan’s most active attacks came from the wings. Left-winger Stuer was a product of the Ajax Youth Academy, while right-winger Disels had scored in the first half. Both players were extremely threatening, and Warrendan’s midfielders and defenders frequently fed the ball out to the flanks.

Their strategy was simple: if they could create opportunities on the wings, their chances were high with Van Sane, another Ajax Youth Academy product, positioned in the center.

Yang Yang, of course, was aware of this. So, when he saw Warrendan’s left-back Paul Quist make a quick overlapping run and receive a pass just outside Almere’s thirty-meter area, bringing the ball under firm control, Yang Yang immediately sprinted back to support his team’s right flank.

He had played right-back before and had some defensive savvy. He positioned himself between Paul Quist and the left-winger, Stuer, cutting off the passing lane between them. However, a Warrendan midfielder quickly moved in to offer a passing option.

Quist passed the ball diagonally to the supporting teammate in the middle, who then quickly relayed it forward to Stuer.

After that quick one-two, the ball still ended up at Stuer’s feet.

When it came to defensive experience, Nick was far more seasoned than Yang Yang. He quickly cut off Stuer’s path, preventing him from taking the ball to the byline after receiving it and successfully pinning him against the right sideline.

Just then, a teammate from central midfield rushed over to help, and it looked like they were about to double-team him.

Yang Yang left Paul Quist to track back. He had noticed that the run from the Warrendan midfielder who’d just played the connecting pass was strange. Using [God’s Vision] to get a bird’s-eye view, he realized that when faced with a double-team, Stuer should have only had one passing lane open: a back pass to his teammate far behind him, Paul Quist.

But a pass like that would mean Warrendan’s attack had fizzled out.

Yet with this midfielder’s run, a second passing lane had miraculously opened up.

Yang Yang was stunned, but he couldn’t help but admire the cleverness of the opponent’s run. Regardless of whether Stuer could even spot his teammate’s movement, Yang Yang sprinted toward that player without a second thought.

It was the best decision he could make: assume the worst-case scenario, which was that Stuer would see the run and be able to make the pass.

As fate would have it, things are often just that strange.

This passing play was one that Warrendan had drilled in practice. Stuer had excellent individual skill; he could shield the ball well, and of course, he saw his teammate. Just as he would in training, he immediately sent the pass out.

The receiving midfielder was ecstatic; this was a golden opportunity to break into the box.

But just as he was fantasizing about scoring the goal, a figure blurred past him. Someone had shot out from his side, getting to the ball a split second before him and forcefully snatching it away.

Interception!