Chapter 168 - 161: Setting Another Record

"Ajax has come out attacking aggressively to start the second half."

"Maxwell pushes up on the left, sending a diagonal pass into the box. No one gets to it first, but Victor Skora is making a run, he has a chance..."

"Oh, he’s just a step too slow! Under pressure from Valente, his touch is a bit heavy, and the ball goes right over the end line."

"That was a really good opportunity for Ajax in this second half."

...

"It’s Ajax on the left flank again. Van der Vaart pushes up, receives the ball, and whips a diagonal pass into the box. Ibrahimovic gets a header off from close range, and the ball just skims past the post and out of bounds."

"That was Ajax’s best scoring chance of the match so far."

"Ibrahimovic, caught between two center-backs, still managed to get to the ball first and head it toward the goal."

"A very dangerous attack, but unfortunately, it was just inches away from a goal."

"Ajax is playing very aggressively in the second half, and their offense looks quite threatening."

"And Porto makes a decisive substitution. This is the first one of the match."

"Mourinho is bringing on midfielder Arenichev for the Brazilian forward Alberto. This looks to be a move to strengthen the midfield. Arenichev is a huge presence in the midfield, but for this match, Mourinho had opted for the more defensive Mendes."

"Bringing on Arenichev now is intended to reinforce the midfield, and Porto’s formation will shift to a 4-5-1."

...

...

"On the surface, this looks like a conservative substitution, but it’s actually a very dangerous move."

In the VIP box sat many celebrities from the world of sports, including UEFA President Johansson and International Olympic Committee President Samaranch. Ajax’s technical director, Van Gaal, was sitting beside Chairman Van Pragg. Upon seeing Mourinho’s substitution, he frowned and spoke.

"Alberto wasn’t much of a threat on the pitch anymore, so taking him off doesn’t hurt their attack much. On the other hand, with Arenichev on, Porto will certainly look to possess the ball more and drive it forward from the midfield. He can also free up Deco, giving him more space to operate. That’s what’s truly critical here."

"Deco is a player everyone underestimates. His talent is exceptional, and he is the core of this team. If you give him space, he’ll become Porto’s most dangerous player on the pitch. This is definitely a move Mourinho had planned before the match."

Seeing Van Gaal’s grave expression, as if facing a great enemy, Van Pragg’s heart skipped a beat. "Then what do we do?"

"I privately reminded Ronald before the game. I just don’t know if he’s prepared a counter for it." Van Gaal shook his head.

He wasn’t the head coach and had no authority to interfere with Ronald Koeman’s game plan, so he only had a vague idea of what the coaching staff’s response might be.

...

...

Just three minutes after Deco pushed forward, Ajax followed suit with their first substitution of the match.

South African international Stephan Pinaar came on for Victor Skora.

This substitution caught the attention of many fans. For a while now, Ajax had consistently brought on Yang Yang for Victor Skora, but this time, it was Pinaar.

The live broadcast even cut to a shot of Yang Yang sitting on the bench, as if to gauge his reaction. The result must have been a disappointment to many, because Yang Yang’s expression was as calm as ever.

He had known all along this substitution was coming.

Pinaar wasn’t tall, but he was fast, agile, and had good technical skill on the ball. He excelled at playmaking and possession. He could fill multiple attacking positions and played a very well-rounded game under Ronald Koeman, but this time he was being sent in primarily to play in the center of midfield.

With Victor Skora off the pitch, Ajax switched to a formation resembling a 4-3-1-2. Pinaar, De Jong, and Sneijder formed the midfield three, with Van der Vaart as the number 10 attacking midfielder. Wesley Sonck and Ibrahimovic were up top as a pair of strikers.

Ronald Koeman’s tactical adjustment had been announced to the team before the match. It was intended to contain Porto’s midfield and also to prepare for a potential problem down the line: Van der Vaart.

The Ajax captain’s stamina was poor, a fact everyone was well aware of. If the match went to extra time, he would certainly have to be subbed off. When that happened, Pinaar and Sneijder would have to shoulder the heavy burden of playmaking and maintaining possession for the Ajax midfield.

Ronald Koeman had been on the sidelines for the entire match, repeatedly shouting instructions to Heitinga and Escude. To their credit, the back line had been relatively stable so far, having made no fatal errors or given up any clear-cut scoring opportunities.

After Pinaar came on, he worked with Sneijder and De Jong to shield the team’s back line. Ajax began to play more conservatively, no longer pressing high for an all-out attack as they had at the start of the half. This immediately caused the game to become dull once more.

Yang Yang sat on the bench, watching the match unfold. He cheered for every Ajax attack and held his breath with every Porto counter. The feeling was no less intense than actually being on the pitch.

Time ticked by, second by second.

In the sixty-eighth minute, Delray suddenly charged into the penalty area with the ball. De Jong tracked back and executed a slide tackle, winning the ball but also tripping Delray in the process. The Porto players immediately swarmed the referee, demanding a penalty. Not to be outdone, the Ajax players argued against it.

In the end, the referee, Nelsen, did not award a penalty. He ruled that De Jong had gotten the ball first—a brilliant piece of defending.

Just two minutes later, Porto was on the attack again. Delray received a pass on the left and sent in a cross with his right foot. The ball deflected off Heitinga, and as it bounced out of the box, Arenichev ran onto it and fired off a shot.

But Pinaar threw himself in front of Arenichev’s shot, blocking it away.

Porto had put together two impressive attacks in a row, both creating dangerous chances. Ajax, on the other hand, was looking a bit overwhelmed, and their forwards were struggling to pose any threat.

Seeing his players on the pitch completely stymied by Porto’s defense, Ajax head coach Ronald Koeman’s brow furrowed. He walked back to the dugout, conferred with Luther Carroll and other members of his staff, and quickly made a decision.

"Yang, go warm up, quick," Luther Carroll called out as he approached.

...

...

"Look, quick! It’s my cousin, he’s about to go on!"

At Shen Yuzhu’s cry, everyone instinctively turned to look at the Ajax bench.

Sure enough, Luther Carroll was standing in front of the dugout, and Yang Yang had already gotten up and was jogging toward the warm-up area.

The fans in the stands noticed the movement as well, and countless supporters throughout the stadium began to chant Yang Yang’s name.

"Looks like he’s really popular with the Ajax fans," Wei Zhen said, amazed.

Wei Zheng laughed. "Of course it is! For the past six months, he’s been outstanding nearly every time he’s come on as a sub. I bet the Ajax fans have been anxiously waiting for him since the second half began."

"Second Brother Wei, is he really good?"

A young girl sitting beside Yang Yang’s mother, Shen Lifang, leaned over and asked curiously.

She had long, jet-black hair, a strikingly delicate face, and a gentle voice. She radiated a unique, fresh-faced charm that was instantly memorable.

"It’s not that he’s so strong, but he’s incredibly hardworking and improves very quickly. And..." Wei Zheng paused, giving the lovely girl a teasing smile. "Xiaoyezi, he’s the same age as you, you know."

"Wow, then he’s really amazing," the girl called Xiaoyezi said, pressing her lips together in a charming smile as she nodded in admiration.

"You’re no slouch yourself, coming to Germany to perform while you’re still in high school. Keep working at it, and you’ll surely be a great artist one day."

The girl shook her head shyly. "Oh, it’s nothing special. I’m just here on an exchange with my school’s drama club. But him, working so hard all by himself in the Netherlands... that must be really tough."

Hearing this, Yang Yang’s parents, who were sitting beside her, couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache and melancholy.

Yang Yang happened to be warming up just below their section of the stands, which prompted another wave of cheers from the Ajax supporters. This filled the young girl with both admiration and a touch of curiosity.

’He looks so slender. Can he really change the game?’

...

...

"It’s the seventy-fourth minute, and Ajax is finally making its second substitution."

"Number ninety-nine, Yang Yang, is standing on the sideline. He’s coming on for Ajax’s captain, Rafael van der Vaart. It’s clear Ronald Koeman feels Van der Vaart can no longer be effective against Porto’s three defensive midfielders."

"Seventeen-year-old Yang Yang, who set the record for the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history against Arsenal, has now set a new record tonight: the youngest player ever to appear in a Champions League final."

"Thanks to his outstanding performance over the past six months, he has earned the respect of the Ajax faithful and has also attracted the attention of many of Europe’s top clubs. Let’s all remember this young talent from China. I’m confident that if he maintains his current trajectory, we will soon see him playing in one of Europe’s Four Major Leagues."

...

Before leaving the pitch, Van der Vaart took off the captain’s armband and handed it to the defender Escude. This was also something Ronald Koeman had arranged before the game; he trusted the reliable Escude to lead the team well.

As he reached the sideline and hugged Yang Yang, Van der Vaart whispered words of encouragement in his ear, "It’s all up to you now."

"Don’t worry. Just you wait," Yang Yang replied, full of confidence.

"Watch out for their cheap shots. They play dirty. Keep your cool and don’t feel any pressure," Van der Vaart said, patting Yang Yang’s shoulder.

"Thanks."

After the hug with Van der Vaart, Yang Yang sprinted onto the pitch.

His face appeared on the two massive screens in the stadium, and all the Ajax fans roared his name in unison.

It was a sign of their faith in Yang Yang, but it was also a form of encouragement.

Everyone was hoping he could change the game once more and deliver another surprise.

After quickly running onto the pitch, Yang Yang headed straight for the midfield, where Sneijder, Pinaar, and De Jong were waiting for him.

They all knew he was carrying the coach’s latest instructions.