Super Wingstorm

”Arsenal are attacking down the left, trying to cross it into the box...”

”Heitinga gets to the near post and clears it! Ajax launches a counter-attack...”

”Let’s see here... the ball goes out to the right, to Talabesi.”

...

The moment Heitinga intercepted the ball, Yang Yang was already off and running.

He was constantly on the move, relentlessly searching for an opening.

This time, he quickly moved to the right flank, hugging the sideline to support Talabesi.

Just as he expected, the Tunisian right-back quickly sent the ball to Yang Yang near the halfway line. Noticing that Reyes hadn’t tracked back immediately, Talabesi instantly decided to continue his forward run.

As Yang Yang chested down Talabesi’s pass, Ashley Cole was already on him from behind.

Even this late in the game, the Arsenal left-back was still playing fiercely. However, since Yang Yang had come on, he’d given up his aggressive forward runs and was focusing more on defense.

Seeing Yang Yang control the ball, Ashley Cole began to harry him relentlessly from behind.

The Arsenal left-back wasn’t tall—a little shorter than Yang Yang, even—but he was physically strong, fast, and very agile. He constantly used his physical advantage, creating a sense of crisis for Yang Yang, making him feel that if he held the ball for too long, he could be dispossessed at any moment.

This was a world-class left-back, after all.

Just then, Yang Yang saw Talabesi making a run forward. The latter was clearly hesitant with his advance, because Reyes was right behind him. The Spaniard was incredibly fast, and if Ajax lost the ball now, an Arsenal counter-attack would almost certainly pose a threat.

Vieira was also running over to the right. He had clearly noticed that Reyes hadn’t tracked back, and Talabesi’s forward run would create a two-on-one situation. So, he immediately shifted to cover the right flank.

Yang Yang knew he was out of time. He immediately chose to pass the ball back while cutting inside horizontally.

This sudden movement made it difficult for Ashley Cole to react. Yang Yang was running into a space closer to Vieira. If Cole followed him, Talabesi would be left wide open on the right. The Ajax right-back could then make a deep, unopposed run. Who would be able to stop him?

On the other hand, if he didn’t follow, Yang Yang would receive the ball in the middle and likely come face-to-face with Vieira.

So, Ashley Cole didn’t immediately follow Yang Yang. Instead, he held his position on the right wing, wary of Talabesi.

But the Tunisian right-back noticed Yang Yang’s hand gesture. They hadn’t played together much on the right flank, but they communicated often enough. He understood Yang Yang’s intention instantly. Upon receiving the pass, he immediately chipped a through ball over the top and in behind the defense.

Yang Yang, who had been cutting horizontally, came to a sudden stop and then burst forward through the gap between Campbell and Ashley Cole.

The highly experienced Ashley Cole and Vieira reacted instantly. The moment Talabesi chipped the ball, the Arsenal left-back realized he’d been tricked and immediately turned to sprint back.

Yang Yang was sprinting straight ahead, while Ashley Cole had to turn before he could do the same. Moreover, after more than eighty minutes of play, Cole’s stamina was clearly depleted. Even though he gritted his teeth and chased back with all his might, he was still half a step behind Yang Yang.

More importantly, Yang Yang was clever. He didn’t try to control the ball directly. Instead, he let Talabesi’s pass bounce twice, waited for the perfect moment, and then knocked the ball forcefully ahead of himself, accelerating to chase it down.

”The linesman’s flag stays down!”

”This Ajax counter-attack is onside!”

”Yang Yang has caught up to the ball on the right wing! Arsenal’s entire defensive line is scrambling back...”

”Ajax’s striker Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sonck, and Van der Vaart are all surging forward! This is a rare attacking opportunity.”

”Yang Yang carries the ball to the edge of the box. Let’s see what he does this time.”

”He sends a curling cross straight into the penalty area...”

”Campbell can’t get to it! Ibrahimovic wins the first ball, his back to the goal! He chests it down, with Kolo Toure blocking the path between him and the net...”

”Ibrahimovic opts to lay it off...”

”Van der Vaart receives the ball, feints past Gilberto Silva...”

”And shoots with his left foot!!!”

”It’s in!!!!!!”

”GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!”

”Van der Vaart! Rafael van der Vaart!”

”In the eighty-seventh minute, Ajax captain Van der Vaart scores with a magnificent curling shot from the edge of the box, finding the net with his Golden Left Foot to score a crucial goal for Ajax!”

”This is a massive goal, bringing the scoreline back to one-one, all level!”

”Ajax have successfully staged a comeback against Arsenal! Four-three!”

”Wenger looks furious on the sideline. He simply can’t understand how they could give Ajax such an easy opportunity.”

”Looking at the slow-motion replay, we can see just how cleverly this Ajax counter-attack was executed.”

”Talabesi pushed forward to link up with Yang Yang. They played a sudden one-two on the right wing, but it was Yang Yang’s incredibly smart run that confused both Ashley Cole and Vieira. This caused a miscommunication between the two Arsenal defenders and exposed a crack in their ironclad defense.”

”Although Ashley Cole and Vieira reacted quickly to cover, Yang Yang keenly seized the brief opportunity. He made a late run to receive Talabesi’s pass, carried the ball all the way to the edge of the area, and then suddenly whipped a curling cross into the center.”

”Ibrahimovic’s physique completely overpowered Kolo Toure. The Arsenal center-back could only position himself tightly behind the Swedish Striker, preventing him from turning to face the goal. However, he couldn’t stop the Ajax striker from controlling the ball and laying it off for a teammate. Van der Vaart took a touch, feinted past Gilberto Silva, and unleashed a shot with his left foot!”

”It was an incredibly clean and decisive shot, fully showcasing Van der Vaart’s excellent feel for the ball and shooting technique.”

”At the critical moment, Van der Vaart calmly seized the opportunity and delivered the decisive blow! One-one!”

”Ajax have been incredibly tenacious. After being down for nearly an hour, they refused to give up, even in the final moments of the match. Yang Yang’s hard work on the right wing has also been very impressive, and that mistake from the Arsenal defense was undoubtedly the best reward for his efforts. He seized his chance.”

...

...

As Yang Yang, Van der Vaart, Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sonck, and Sneijder rushed to the sideline and gathered in a circle to celebrate wildly, they suddenly realized their head coach, Ronald Koeman, had also charged into the jubilant crowd.

He was completely overcome with ecstasy, repeatedly shouting, ”I’ve been waiting, I’ve been waiting for this! I finally got it!”

Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart were separated by Yang Yang and Sneijder, but the elation in their hearts was identical.

The Swedish Striker assisting, Van der Vaart scoring—this was the first time it had happened all season.

The assist was brilliant, making full use of Ibrahimovic’s strengths. But Van der Vaart’s move to beat his man followed by that curling strike was just as spectacular. Lehman was left with no chance, completely beyond his reach.

Everyone, including De Jong and others who had rushed out from the bench, crowded the sideline to celebrate the goal.

The Arsenal players kept urging the referee, signaling that the Ajax players were celebrating for too long. They needed to get back so the match could restart.

According to the rules, all of Ajax’s players had to return to their own half before Arsenal could kick off.

At the referee’s insistence, the Ajax players finally ended their celebration.

Ibrahimovic grabbed Yang Yang’s head forcefully, lecturing him nonstop, telling him not to send in such an awkwardly-heighted ball next time. ”Last time you sent in a high ball, and this time you give me this. Are you trying to test me?”

”Why don’t you just admit you couldn’t get into a good position?” Yang Yang retorted with a laugh.

Ibrahimovic was at a loss for words. Kolo Toure wasn’t as tall as him and hadn’t out-positioned him, but his physical resistance was excellent, preventing him from getting to the optimal spot. He was forced to control it with his chest, but that meant...

”Your assist was beautiful, and Rafael’s shot was incredible. When you two combine your strengths, we win!” Yang Yang said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart both shot each other a sensitive glance before immediately looking away.

But under Yang Yang’s expectant gaze, Captain Van der Vaart finally hesitated for a moment, then proactively extended his hand to Ibrahimovic and said loudly, ”Thanks.”

Yang Yang winked at Ibrahimovic, urging him on.

The Swedish Striker hesitated for a moment before finally shaking Van der Vaart’s hand. ”It’s nothing,” he replied coolly. ”I just want the team to win. I don’t want to lose to Arsenal and Wenger.”

”Me too,” Van der Vaart replied lightly.

Seeing this, everyone around them couldn’t help but burst into laughter. This was definitely an ice-breaking handshake.

The two of them had been at odds since last season. Their rivalry for the captaincy had caused a huge stir, and not only did they have no contact off the pitch, but they also wouldn’t pass to each other on it unless there was absolutely no other choice.

In the past, with an opportunity like the one just now, Ibrahimovic’s most likely choice would have been to control the ball, turn, and shoot himself.

He would rather waste the chance than let Van der Vaart have it.

But tonight, he chose to assist.

When Ronald Koeman saw this from the sidelines, he nodded repeatedly.

This was something he had always wanted to achieve but had failed to do. He never expected it to be brought about so serendipitously by Yang Yang.

’As long as Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart join forces, with Ajax’s current competitive strength, we can definitely take another step forward,’ he thought with confidence.

While Ajax was staging a reconciliation between its stars, Arsenal was growing extremely impatient.

Just as the Ajax players finally returned to the pitch, the fourth official held up the board showing three minutes of stoppage time. But right at that moment, Ronald Koeman called for a substitution.

Vermaelen came on for Sneijder—another defensive substitution.

To make matters worse, Ajax was clearly wasting time, frustrating the Arsenal players and staff to the point of apoplexy.