Chapter 159 - 152: 3-0

During their pre-match preparations, Ajax focused on drilling their offside trap and high-pressing tactics.

A key aspect of the high press was to cut off Monaco’s lateral passes. This was a crucial method of ball control and distribution for the Ligue 1 team. As long as Ajax could sever these horizontal links, Monaco’s attacking build-up would be severely hampered.

It was safe to say that the entire set of targeted tactics devised by the Ajax coaching staff before the match was proving effective.

In the sixty-seventh minute, Ajax once again intercepted one of their opponent’s lateral passes in the midfield.

Maxwell suddenly pressed forward, intercepting a pass intended for Jouli. He quickly carried the ball forward, launching a counter-attack straight down the left flank. After facing a challenge from a Monaco player, he swiftly passed to Van der Vaart in the center.

The Ajax captain was also being tightly marked by his opponent. After receiving the ball, he couldn’t move forward directly and was forced to turn and shield it. He laid it off horizontally to Sneijder, who sent a first-time pass out to the right wing.

Yang Yang controlled Sneijder’s pass on the right wing. Seeing Talabesi intending to push up, he took the initiative to dribble inside before suddenly releasing the ball toward the byline. The Ajax right-back sprinted forward and latched onto Yang Yang’s pass.

This time, however, Monaco’s left-back, Evra, reacted very quickly. He shadowed Talabesi all the way, denying him any chance to cross directly or cut inside. This forced Talabesi to come to an abrupt stop on the right side of the penalty area and pass the ball back.

Yang Yang, positioned behind Talabesi, controlled the ball and lifted his head to look into the box.

Ibrahimovic was standing right between Monaco’s two center-backs, Julien Rodriguez and Squillaci, but he pointed to the space behind himself. It was a clear signal for Yang Yang to pass there.

Without waiting for the Monaco defenders to close him down, Yang Yang took a touch to set himself and whipped in a cross.

The ball was driven in low and fast, heading directly for the penalty spot in the center of the box.

...

"Ajax attacks down the right! Talabesi has no options and passes it back to Yang Yang."

"Yang Yang sets himself... a low ball into the box, looking for Ibrahimovic!"

"Ibrahimovic uses his body to shield the ball from the two Monaco center-backs! He controls it, turns, and shoots!"

"IT’S IN THE NET!!!!!!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"The sixty-eighth minute! The sixty-eighth minute! Ajax scores again!"

"Ibrahimovic! The super giant from Sweden scores an absolutely magnificent goal!"

"Looking at the slow-motion replay, we can see that Yang Yang’s cross was placed perfectly, landing right near Ibrahimovic’s right foot. The Swedish striker immediately controlled the ball to his left, used his body to shield it from both Julien Rodriguez and Squillaci, then turned and unleashed a powerful shot."

"The shot came so suddenly. Loma clearly didn’t expect Ibrahimovic to be able to turn and get a shot off while being double-teamed by two center-backs. It’s a perfect demonstration of the Swedish striker’s incredible individual skill."

"Of course, Yang Yang, who just came on as a substitute, deserves credit for that incredibly precise cross from the right. The moment he delivered it, I could almost see a shadow of Beckham. It’s said that Yang Yang used to practice his crossing by studying videos of Beckham."

...

After scoring, an ecstatic Ibrahimovic charged out of the penalty area, quickly grabbed Yang Yang’s hand, and the two of them ran side-by-side to the edge of the pitch, cheering and celebrating with the fans in the stands.

Two-nil!

Ajax had scored their second goal of the match.

The delirious Ajax fans chanted the names of Ibrahimovic and Yang Yang, while on the sidelines, head coach Ronald Koeman raised both hands and applauded continuously.

None of them had expected Yang Yang to help the team score again so soon after coming on.

Who could have predicted it?

Even Yang Yang himself couldn’t have imagined it.

In that last goal, Yang Yang’s cross had landed within the range Ibrahimovic’s right foot could control, but the truly decisive factors were the Swedish striker’s first touch, turn, and explosive shot.

To be able to perform so brilliantly while being sandwiched by two center-backs—no one on the Ajax team could have pulled that off except for Ibrahimovic.

...

...

After conceding again, everyone on the Monaco side grew a bit frantic and started trying to mount a comeback.

After all, they had just created several dangerous chances in front of the Ajax goal, coming just a step away from scoring themselves.

Ajax, on the other hand, began to stabilize their defense and focus on counter-attacks.

Less than six minutes after the second goal, Monaco was attacking in Ajax’s half when a pass was intercepted by Galasek. Sneijder immediately launched a long ball forward to find Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish striker carried the ball forward. The Ajax trident burst into action, quickly creating a three-on-three situation up front. This was especially true for Yang Yang on the right, as his flank was basically empty after Evra had pushed up to join the attack.

Ibrahimovic, knowing he was slow on the dribble, immediately sent the ball out to the right. Yang Yang quickly advanced with the ball to the right side of Monaco’s penalty area. After drawing Squillaci toward him, he suddenly cut it back to an unmarked Ibrahimovic inside the box. The striker took a touch, made a slight adjustment, and drove a low shot with his right foot into the bottom-left corner of the goal.

Three-nil!

The entire Amsterdam Arena erupted into a sea of celebration.

None of the fans could have imagined that Ajax would score two goals in a span of less than ten minutes, and that both goals would come from link-up play between Yang Yang and Ibrahimovic. It was simply astonishing.

"Monaco’s overall quality is indeed a step below Ajax’s. The players of the Eredivisie giants are a cut above in both experience and skill. They reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season with a very eye-catching performance, and their squad hasn’t seen many major changes. The only adjustments are Escude replacing Qi Wu in defense and Yang Yang taking over from Van der Meede on the right wing."

"Making a strong push in the Champions League for two consecutive seasons, this group of young Ajax players has shown astonishing ability. Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic in particular, these two ace players, have revealed their immense potential. I believe that with time, they are certain to become first-rate, or even top-tier, stars in Europe."

"Of course, Deschamps and his Monaco side have no need to despair. This is only the first leg; there’s still a second leg to be played. Back on their home turf, they’ll absolutely have another chance. They just need to quickly move past the shadow of this three-nil thrashing and rebuild the team’s morale."

...

...

In the VIP box of the Amsterdam Arena, Chinese National Team head coach Arie Haan was also closely watching Ajax’s performance, especially after Yang Yang came on. He could clearly see the change in Ajax’s right-wing attack.

"These tactics are perfectly suited to bringing out his strengths," Arie Haan remarked, his eye for talent incredibly sharp.

Van Gaal, sitting beside him, nodded. "Exactly. His speed and his driving runs are his specialty. So in the team’s current system, he’s basically just playing to his strengths. Someone passes to him, letting him attack with the ball, and someone else is there to receive his passes and convert them into shots."

It wasn’t that Ajax had tailor-made these tactics for Yang Yang; rather, Yang Yang was playing the role of Van der Meede, but one who didn’t cut into the box. Furthermore, Yang Yang’s crossing was even a bit better than Van der Meede’s.

That was why Ajax always looked so good after Yang Yang came on as a substitute, with the team’s attack flowing so smoothly. The team had been refining this tactical system for two or three seasons, drilling it repeatedly ever since Ronald Koeman took charge. The players were all extremely familiar with it.

As a traditional European powerhouse that had reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season and was only narrowly defeated by the eventual champions, AC Milan, Ajax’s overall strength was undeniable. What’s more, the players were a year more mature than last season, making them even more competitive and outstanding.

The problems in the first half of the season stemmed from Van der Meede’s departure, with no one able to fill his shoes. Talabesi was frozen out of the team after pushing for a transfer, which led directly to the collapse of the entire right flank. They posed no threat, their attack suffered, and with Escude new to the defensive line, the team had defensive issues as well. All of this left the team in a state of turmoil.

But after making adjustments, and especially after Yang Yang’s emergence, the team basically went back to using the mature system from the previous two seasons. As a result, their performance in the second half of the season immediately soared.

Ibrahimovic’s skill was a given, and Wesley Sonck was a Belgian Golden Boot Award winner; the scoring ability and attacking lethality of these two were beyond doubt. Van der Vaart and Sneijder’s passing and playmaking in midfield were also outstanding. Add Pinaar to the mix, with De Jong and Galasek handling defensive duties, and Ajax’s three-man midfield was well-balanced in both attack and defense.

On the flanks, Talabesi had been on the Ballon d’Or shortlist and was hailed as a top-tier right-back in Europe, while Maxwell was lauded as the next Roberto Carlos. With a lineup like this, Ajax’s overall strength simply overwhelmed Monaco’s.

They had looked poor against Arsenal and Real Madrid, but against Monaco—especially in the second half after Yang Yang came on—this was a display of Ajax’s true strength.

"He has great chemistry with that tall center-forward," Dejan chimed in, having noticed it as well.

Van Gaal smiled and explained, "The two of them are best friends. They live across from each other and do extra training together, so their chemistry is indeed excellent. And besides his crossing from the wing, Yang Yang’s corners and free kicks are also of a certain quality."

Arie Haan and Dejan exchanged a look. They were both beginning to understand why Yang Yang was being used so heavily at Ajax.

Aside from his own ability, the fact that he was a great fit for Ajax’s system was also a major factor. Ajax’s use of Yang Yang also gave them some great ideas. The next question was whether the National Team could properly wield this sharp weapon that was Yang Yang.

If they used him well, it was likely that no one in the Asian Cup would be able to stop him.

But the problems Arie Haan faced with the National Team weren’t just about breaking through on the wings; they also struggled with scoring goals.

His forwards weren’t scoring, and it was a persistent headache that had plagued him for a long time.