Chapter 182 175: Blowing Up Completely

"Early this morning, Beijing time, during the second round of the Group A group stage at the Toulon Cup in Toulon, France, the Chinese Youth Team narrowly defeated the host nation's France Team 1-0, thanks to a last-minute, game-winning goal from their star player, Yang Yang."

"The match drew a large crowd of local French fans and Chinese students studying abroad."

"The Chinese Team was on the back foot for much of the match, as their opponents' average age was two years older. However, the young players of the National Youth Team continued their excellent performance from the first round, playing with great tenacity and holding a firm defense."

"At a critical moment in the second half, Yang Yang stepped up. He dropped deep into his own half to receive the ball and embarked on a sixty-seven-meter solo run, dribbling past three opposing players before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping the ball into the empty net, securing the National Youth Team's second victory."

"After the match, Yang Yang was officially named the Man of the Match."

"And now, for a live report from our on-site correspondent, Wei Zhen, who is with the team."

...

"Thank you, anchor. This is Wei Zhen reporting."

"I'm reporting live from Toulon, France, and I have in my hands several of the most influential local newspapers. They're all running headline stories on last night's match, where our National Youth Team defeated the France Team."

"First, let's take a look at *French Football*. Their headline reads, 'The Fall of the French Army.' They believe that the French Team, led by coach Raymond, failed to perform at their usual level. Although they controlled the pace and held the advantage, creating as many as fourteen shots on goal, they ultimately lost the match."

"The paper argues that when facing a Chinese team whose players were, on average, two years younger, the French Team failed to produce any effective offensive plays. Instead, they suggest that coach Raymond's substitutions inadvertently freed up China's Yang Yang."

"The report specifically mentioned Yang Yang's performance in the Champions League final. It stated that as a key player for Ajax who scored the winning goal in that final, his skill should not be underestimated. He held his own even against French players three or four years his senior. But most importantly, the sequence that led to the game-winning goal—where he dribbled past three players and executed a Pendulum Move—left an unforgettable impression."

"Next up is *Team Report*. They described the Chinese Team's defense as impenetrable and the French Team's offense as weak and ineffective. *Team Report* also ran a special feature on Yang Yang. In addition to praising his outstanding performance, they also brought up two other players: the originator of the Pendulum Move, Ronaldo, and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, whom many fans call 'Little Luo'."

"In last year's Toulon Cup, Little Luo was also three or four years younger than the other players, yet he performed exceptionally well. He helped the Portugal Team advance all the way from the group stage to the final, where they ultimately defeated Italy to claim the title. *Team Report* suggests that Yang Yang's performance against France was reminiscent of Little Luo's from last year."

"Now for France's *Le Figaro*. They described it as France losing an 'asymmetrical battle' and commented that Yang Yang had single-handedly defeated an entire team."

"And then there's *World Newspaper*. They wrote that the Chinese Youth Team displayed astonishing tenacity and a hunger to win. In contrast, the French Team, facing opponents two years their junior, clearly lacked the determination to secure a victory. They also commented that China's Yang Yang left an unforgettable impression, his skills on par with French stars Pongler and Letai."

"It's safe to say that all of France is talking about this match this morning. The major newspapers are full of high praise for the Chinese Team, and especially for Yang Yang, while the French Team is facing a barrage of criticism and condemnation."

"After the match last night, I ran into the future head coach of the National Olympic Team, the German coach Klauen. He approached me to talk about the game. He felt the Chinese Team's defensive system was excellent. Given that the French team was two years older and had a clear advantage in overall strength, he thought a draw would have been a more logical outcome."

"But in the end, Yang Yang's individual brilliance decided the match. Klauen believes that Yang Yang created multiple chances during the game, but the other players' finishing was a bit lacking. Otherwise, the Chinese Team could have scored and taken the lead in the first half."

"As for Yang Yang, Klauen believes he is destined to become the core player for both the National Olympic Team and the senior National Team."

"Regarding the issues that the Chinese Team revealed during the match, Klauen highlighted two main points. First, there were too many errors in passing and receiving the ball. This caused the team to easily lose possession and allowed the French Team to dominate the match."

"The second point was their offense. It wasn't as apparent against Colombia, as South American teams tend to be more relaxed in their tactical discipline. But against France, the weakness was glaring. Only Yang Yang was able to perform effectively against the French defensive line. Without him, the match would have ended in a draw, or even a loss."

"As for the Chinese Team's prospects in the rest of the Toulon Cup, Klauen advised them to take it one step at a time and focus on the next match. He added, however, that he is personally very excited to see what Yang Yang does next."

"And according to my sources within the National Youth Team's coaching staff, Yang Yang is in excellent form and still fired up. He has proactively asked to play in the third match, hoping the team can maintain its current momentum and condition."

...

...

The Toulon Cup schedule was packed. While fans back in China were still buzzing about the 1-0 victory over France—and Yang Yang's game-winning goal that featured a three-man dribble and a Pendulum Move—the Chinese Team in Toulon was already gearing up for their third group stage match.

Just as Wei Zhen had predicted, the coaching staff rotated the squad based on player fitness, but Yang Yang was in the starting lineup once again.

Although Turkey's senior team had finished third in the last World Cup, their squad for the Toulon Cup was young. Their overall strength was a step below France's, and perhaps even slightly weaker than Colombia's. This had the entire Chinese Team rubbing their hands together, eager for the match.

During the 2002 World Cup, China's first-ever appearance in the tournament, the National Team had been soundly defeated by Turkey. As a result, many fans back home were hoping the National Youth Team could avenge that humiliating loss.

Yang Yang was highly active from the opening whistle. Just two minutes in, he initiated a counter-attack and sent a brilliant pass to Hao Junmin on the left wing. Hao Junmin converted the assist, breaking through Turkey's defense to open the scoring for the Chinese Team.

Just two minutes later, Yang Yang found another opportunity. He controlled a pass in the midfield, shook off his defender, and surged forward. He then played a through ball behind the defensive line for Mao Jianqing, who was making his first start. Mao Jianqing raced onto the pass and fired a right-footed shot into the net, extending the lead to 2-0.

The Chinese Team continued to press the attack. This time, Yang Yang drifted to the right flank to receive a pass, then laid it back to Chen Tao, who was cutting inside. Chen Tao then threaded a beautiful pass to Mao Jianqing, but unfortunately, the National Youth Team's striker mishandled the ball and it rolled over the end line.

Just a minute later, however, Mao Jianqing redeemed himself. He dropped back into the midfield to win the ball and immediately launched a counter-attack. Under pressure from defenders, he lost possession again, but Yang Yang, pressing high on the right flank, won the ball back. He then cut diagonally into the penalty area and, facing the goalkeeper, calmly chipped the ball into the net for his second goal of the Toulon Cup.

Three-nil!

No one could have imagined it. In less than ten minutes, the Chinese Team had scored three unanswered goals, leaving the young Turkish players completely stunned.

After that initial onslaught, Turkey quickly regrouped and began to launch their own attacks. In the eleventh minute, they capitalized on two consecutive defensive errors by the Chinese Team, managing two dangerous shots on goal within the space of a minute.

The match then entered a stalemate. The Chinese Team gradually eased off their attack, focusing on shoring up their defense.

At the start of the second half, National Youth Team head coach Tie Sheng subbed off Yang Yang—the team's hero of the day with two assists and a goal—during the halftime break. He brought on forward Wan City, wanting to give Yang Yang more time to rest and prepare for the upcoming semi-final.

Although it went unsaid, it was undeniable: in just three matches, Yang Yang had proven through his skill and performance that he was the core star of the National Youth Team. It was a fact that every player on the team readily acknowledged.

After play resumed in the second half, Turkey launched a comeback.

This was especially true in the fifty-fourth minute, when Turkey brought on a young prospect named Arda Turan. A player for Galatasaray, he was the same age as Yang Yang—seventeen—and he made an immediate, outstanding impression on the pitch.

After coming off the bench, Turan orchestrated wave after wave of attacks for Turkey. Finally, in the seventy-third minute, the Chinese Team paid the price for their repeated defensive lapses in the center of the pitch. A through ball from Turan found its way into the final third, where two Turkish forwards combined, allowing Brute to score on a one-on-one with the keeper and bring the score to 3-1.

Turkey continued to ramp up the pressure, but the Chinese Team, now aware of the danger, hunkered down and defended with everything they had.

In the end, the 3-1 scoreline held until the final whistle.

Thanks to their explosive start, the Chinese Team defeated Turkey 3-1. They secured their third consecutive victory in the Toulon Cup group stage, advancing with a flawless record.

With his two assists and one goal, Yang Yang was once again named Man of the Match.

In the group's other match, France defeated Colombia 2-0 on home soil, advancing as the group runner-up.

Group B also concluded its matches the following day. The Japan Team was eliminated, finishing at the bottom of the group with two draws and one loss. Brazil topped the group with two wins and one loss. Sweden, with one win, one draw, and one loss, edged out Portugal to advance as the group runner-up.

With that, the Toulon Cup semi-final matchups were set: the Chinese Team would face Sweden, while France would take on Brazil. The winners of those two matches would advance to the final.

Despite the distance and lack of live television broadcasts, the National Youth Team's outstanding performance at the Toulon Cup sparked fervent discussion among fans and media back home. Yang Yang's performance, in particular, drew universal and enthusiastic praise.

Across the three games, while his impact in the first wasn't as pronounced, Yang Yang played a vital role in the two subsequent key matches. Every fan could see it, filling them with high hopes for the seventeen-year-old prodigy.

Some veteran legends of Chinese football even publicly declared that Yang Yang was the future hope of Chinese Football and the future leader of the National Team.

However, many level-headed industry insiders urged the media and fans to remain calm and not to crush the young players with excessive hype, especially Yang Yang. After all, he was only seventeen.

But regardless, Yang Yang's popularity back home had skyrocketed. He was a bona fide star.