Chapter 153 146: Penalty Kick

With Ajax having scored three consecutive goals to tie the aggregate score at 5-5, it was now Real Madrid who were backed into a corner. Queiroz and his superstars had run out of options.

Thus, immediately after Ajax's third goal, Real Madrid made a substitution, with Solari coming on for Boerhaave.

It was a very clear signal to strengthen the team's offense.

The Real Madrid superstars shook off their previous lethargy and began to show a strong desire to attack. However, their poor stamina made it difficult for their offensive rhythm to pose a real threat. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Battleship still maintained control of the ball and the initiative on the pitch.

In the seventy-eighth minute, Ronald Koeman also realized the problem and immediately substituted Pienaar for Van der Vaart.

After the South African international came on, he played a relatively deep position, forming something of a three-man midfield with Sneijder and Galasek and setting up a solid defensive line in front of the defense.

But Real Madrid also began to go for broke.

After the eighty-minute mark, Queiroz first brought on Portillo for Salgado, replacing a defender with a forward to further bolster the team's attack. Three minutes later, he substituted Cambiasso for the exhausted Golden Wolf Guti.

Both substitutions sent a strong signal of their intent to attack.

Ajax also quickly used their final substitution, bringing on Vermaelen for Ibrahimovic.

The Belgian center-back still played his preferred left center-back position after coming on, with Escude moving to right center-back and Heitinga being pushed up into a holding midfield role.

As a result, Ajax's formation became something like a 4-4-2, with Yang Yang and Wesley Sonck pushed up front as two pacy forwards tasked with launching counter-attacks.

Real Madrid's powerful offense forced Ajax to drop back, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. All three of their lines retreated deep into the thirty-meter zone of their own half, forming three solid defensive walls to withstand Real Madrid's wave after wave of attacks.

In the final stages of the match, even Roberto Carlos was frequently pushing forward into the attack. Their backline was left with only two center-backs defending, while they threw massive numbers forward, forcing Ajax to contract their defensive lines even further.

The situation on the pitch was hanging by a thread. A single mistake now could render an entire season's efforts worthless. Neither side dared to let up for even a moment.

Yang Yang was nominally a forward, but in reality, he was tracking back almost to the same line as the defensive midfielders.

He had no choice. Roberto Carlos was pushing too far up the pitch, and Ajax's right flank needed protection. Wesley Sonck had already played the entire match; only Yang Yang had come on as a substitute, so he had to be more active.

As the match neared its end, Zidane could no longer run; he could only walk slowly in the attacking third. Ronaldo had also completely exhausted his stamina. He wasn't even walking, just standing outside the penalty area, conserving what little energy he had left for one more sprint.

The Real Madrid players' stamina had reached its limit, and the Ajax players were not in much better shape. Only the few who had come on as substitutes were still running hard and pressing the opposition.

Yang Yang had come on as a substitute at halftime, but he had been working incredibly hard from the moment he stepped on the pitch. Before, he was running into open space; now, he was diligently tracking back. Moreover, he was frequently making the kind of short, back-and-forth sprints that were extremely draining on one's stamina.

As the match drew to a close, he truly felt that he too was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, but he kept running without pause.

'Just as Old Ice from the Super Training ground said, human potential is limitless. As long as you have a strong enough will, you can constantly break through your limits.'

'Besides, I'm still far from reaching my limit.'

Roberto Carlos received a pass back from the attack on the left flank. Yang Yang immediately rushed over, harassing the Brazilian left-back on the wing and forcing him to pass the ball away quickly.

Zidane, Raul, Portillo, Zidane...

The ball moved back and forth between the feet of the Real Madrid players, but just as Zidane attempted to pass the ball into the penalty area, Vermaelen suddenly stuck out a foot and knocked it away.

The ball didn't travel far. After getting to it, Heitinga gave it another kick. It still wasn't a powerful one, but it landed perfectly in an empty vacuum of space on the right flank.

The Ajax players' primary thought was simply to clear the ball and run down the clock.

But as the ball began to fall, Yang Yang suddenly realized, 'This is a chance.'

The ball was landing between Roberto Carlos and Cambiasso. 'If I'm fast enough,' he thought, 'I have a real chance to get to that ball before them and launch a counter-attack.'

'Regardless of the outcome, it would at least waste some time.'

The moment he judged the ball's landing spot, Yang Yang made his decision. He shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, speeding towards the ball.

Roberto Carlos and Cambiasso both looked at the ball and started chasing it at the same time. But it was clear they both expected the other to go for it, which made their pursuit hesitant. This was especially true for Cambiasso; with his fresh legs, he should have been the most likely one to reach the ball first.

But Yang Yang was completely resolute. Gritting his teeth, he sprinted at top speed and, just before Roberto Carlos and Cambiasso could close in, managed to get there a step ahead. He poked the ball forward through the gap between them and immediately sped after it.

The two Real Madrid players were stunned. They immediately turned to give chase, but they were already a step behind Yang Yang.

Yang Yang sprinted forward, taking long strides with the ball. When a nearby Solari moved to defend, Yang Yang simply accelerated and blew right past him.

Real Madrid's two center-backs, Elguera and Mejia, were continuously backpedaling. On the right, Yang Yang was charging forward with the ball, while on the left, Wesley Sonck was rapidly keeping pace. The two Ajax forwards forced the Real Madrid defensive line to retreat again and again.

Seeing that they could retreat no further, Mejia decisively moved to block his path.

But Yang Yang was already at full sprint. Before Mejia could get into position, Yang Yang gave a slight feint with his body, looking as if he were about to cut inside to link up with Wesley Sonck, but in reality, he suddenly pushed the ball to the right with his right foot.

They had barely come face-to-face when Mejia was completely fooled by Yang Yang's feint. By the time he realized he had been tricked and turned to chase, Yang Yang had already caught up to the ball and was charging directly toward the penalty area.

This was just to the right of the arc at the top of the box. If Yang Yang was given a chance inside the penalty area, he'd be one-on-one with the keeper. If that didn't work, he could make a square pass to Wesley Sonck at the far post, who could very well score.

Mejia made a split-second decision and committed a deliberate foul, shoving Yang Yang hard in the back from behind.

Though Yang Yang was sprinting forward, he was simultaneously using [God's Vision] to keep an eye on the movements of everyone around him. The moment Mejia made his move, Yang Yang knew what was coming and was mentally prepared. When the force hit his back, his stride faltered for a moment, but after just a stumble, he didn't fall. Instead, he continued to charge forward.

Mejia, on the other hand, was stunned that his first push hadn't brought him down. He knew it was now impossible to catch up to Yang Yang; forget about defending—he couldn't even stop him from taking a shot.

The only chance was to foul him again.

The Real Madrid center-back gritted his teeth and grabbed Yang Yang's jersey from behind with all his strength, determined not to let him enter the penalty area.

But Yang Yang was at full speed, and his momentum kept carrying him forward. After Mejia reached out and grabbed his jersey, he still managed to drag the Real Madrid center-back forward two more steps. It wasn't until his jersey ripped that he finally lost his balance and tumbled into the Real Madrid penalty area.

The referee's sharp whistle blew for the foul.

Only at this moment did the entire Amsterdam Arena suddenly erupt in a thunderous roar. Tens of thousands of fans shouted in unison, chanting "Penalty! Penalty! Penalty!" in a strong, uniform rhythm.

The Real Madrid players swarmed the referee, incessantly pressuring him and arguing that it shouldn't be a penalty. They claimed the foul occurred outside the box and was definitely not a penalty.

Yang Yang wasn't injured, nor did he linger on the ground. He immediately got back up, panting for breath, and pulled at his jersey—which had been of good quality but was now torn open—to show it to the referee.

In that moment, all the broadcast cameras focused on Yang Yang. Football fans all over the world were watching him.

The referee calmed Yang Yang down while also signaling for the Real Madrid players to back off, indicating that he wouldn't hesitate to hand out cards. This finally deterred the agitated Real Madrid stars.

...

"Looking at the slow-motion replay, that was an indisputable foul. And Yang Yang had already broken into the penalty area, so this is without a doubt a penalty. Mejia was not the last defending player, however."

"It has to be said, Real Madrid was too eager in their attack and pushed too far upfield, giving Ajax an excellent opportunity to counter. But the more crucial factor was Yang Yang. His counter-attack was incredibly sharp, especially his stability while dribbling at high speed."

"A lot of people are calling him the next Ronaldo, and from that dribbling counter-attack, it's as if we saw a glimpse of the Ronaldo of old. I wonder if Real Madrid's number nine, Ronaldo, who is on the pitch right now, is also reminiscing about his own former glory."

"Since coming onto the pitch, Yang Yang has once again changed the complexion of the game. In just forty-five minutes, he has proven his skill, his value, and his potential to everyone. With two assists, plus the counter-attack he just created, Yang Yang is without a doubt the star of the show at the Amsterdam Arena tonight."

"The referee has finally made his decision."

"Penalty!"

"That's an absolutely correct call. He's awarded a penalty to Ajax."

"It is now the eighty-ninth minute, with three minutes of stoppage time to be added. Awarding a penalty to Ajax at this juncture is essentially handing them the power to decide the outcome of the match. If they convert this penalty, Real Madrid will be eliminated from the UEFA Champions League."

"This young team, with an average age of just twenty-two, has had a truly outstanding season. Yang Yang, in particular, who burst onto the scene in the second half of the season, has left an incredibly deep impression on everyone."

"But now, Ajax's designated penalty taker, Van der Vaart, is already off the pitch, and Ibrahimovic has also been substituted. So who, exactly, is going to step up to take this crucial penalty kick?"

"Will it be Galasek? Or Sneijder? Or perhaps Wesley Sonck?"