Chapter 228 221: Enduring Hardship

Because time was tight, the National Team could only get Yang Yang a ticket for a flight to Amsterdam on the morning of the twelfth.

He would rest for two hours after arriving in the Netherlands, then catch a connecting flight from Amsterdam to Kuwait.

According to the schedule, even if his flights weren't delayed, he would arrive in Kuwait on the morning of the thirteenth at the earliest.

And China was set to play Kuwait that very evening.

It was, without a doubt, a long and arduous journey west.

Captain Zhu had always been good to Yang Yang. He apologized profusely over the phone, hoping Yang Yang would understand the predicament the National Team and the Football Association were in and wouldn't hold any grudges. He also urged him to get as much rest as possible on the plane.

Yang Yang said it wasn't a problem.

Meanwhile, the media and many netizens back home were very unhappy with the Football Association's last-minute summons. They argued that if he was going to be called up, it should have been done sooner. Why wait until the very end?

According to media leaks, Arie Haan had apparently threatened to resign, which finally forced the Football Association's hand in calling up Yang Yang.

There's nothing new under the sun. The media soon exposed the reasons for the Football Association's reluctance to call up Yang Yang, prompting another public outcry against them. The Association, whose credibility was already at rock bottom, suffered yet another major blow.

A twenty-hour journey, an arrival in the morning, and a match that same night—how well could he possibly perform?

This was a cause for concern for everyone.

As netizens on the forums put it, Yang Yang's ability was never in question. The problem was the useless teammates who would prevent him from playing at his best.

......

......

Yang Yang was unaware of the support from fans back home. The moment he boarded the plane, he slipped on an eye mask and entered the Super Training.

For the past year, Yang Yang's routine in the Super Training had remained largely unchanged: basic training and Star Skills. The only exception was the day before a match, when he would simulate his next opponent for a practice session.

The goal was to familiarize himself with his opponents, allowing him to get into game mode more quickly.

Experience had shown that this type of practice was indeed a great help to him.

This time, however, was different. Due to the National Team's poor intelligence gathering on the Kuwaiti players, Yang Yang couldn't obtain much detailed information, aside from a few video highlight reels. Coupled with the fact that the opponent wasn't considered particularly strong, he didn't schedule an extended practice session.

In addition to basic training and practicing his Star Skills, Yang Yang also brought up another issue he'd been facing recently.

Namely, improving his physical strength.

The Super Training couldn't directly improve his physical strength; that was something he had to work on in the real world. Ajax had professional conditioning and fitness coaches, but due to his young age, Yang Yang hadn't focused too much on that aspect of training before.

But now, he was hitting a plateau.

'Asian players are generally not as physically strong as European players. I already noticed this issue during the Asian Cup. I discussed it with the coaching staff when I got back to Ajax, but we never had the time to properly address it.'

Yang Yang felt quite vexed thinking about it.

'Ever since I joined the first team last season, I've had almost no time to rest.'

'The second half of the season was a constant battle on multiple fronts, not to mention flying to Toulon immediately after the Champions League final. After the Toulon Cup, I went back to China to stay in shape for the Asian Cup.'

'Once the Asian Cup was finally over, I had to fly back to Amsterdam, and the new season began all over again.'

'Then came the European Super Cup, the AFC U-19 Championship, and now the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian Zone.'

'Looking back, I realized I've played so many matches this past year.'

'If it weren't for the Super Training's deep sleep function helping my body recover faster, I never would have been able to keep up.'

'Of course, compared to European competitions, the Toulon Cup, Asian Cup, and AFC U-19 Championship weren't particularly high-intensity.'

'But I've personally felt my own deficiencies when it comes to physical and strength-based confrontations.'

"If I could improve my physical strength and how I handle challenges, I'm confident I could perform even better than I do now."

Yang Yang was speaking from personal experience.

For instance, there were times he'd make a solo run, dribbling past multiple defenders to create an opening, only to find he had no strength left to take a shot.

Other times, his technique would fall apart under tight marking and physical pressure from an opponent.

And on several other occasions, he felt his shots lacked power, causing him to miss clear scoring opportunities.

The Ajax coaching staff had said this was normal, since he was only seventeen. While they were gradually working on his physical strength, they had yet to produce a more targeted plan for him.

The coaching staff had to manage the entire team, after all. What Yang Yang was really wondering was whether he should hire a personal trainer.

"Scientific research shows that the years between eighteen and twenty-three are crucial for a professional player's physical development, affecting their long-term career and injury recovery. However, the training must be precisely tailored to your technical characteristics and playing style. In that regard, I believe Ajax is more professional."

Old Ice analyzed the situation for Yang Yang, its tone as cool as ever.

Ajax certainly had a wealth of experience in player development, not just in technique but also in physical conditioning, going into such fine detail as muscle distribution.

In fact, it's widely accepted that targeted training of specific muscle groups, based on a player's technical attributes and habits, can effectively reduce injuries.

For a professional player, the body is the most fundamental asset.

Yang Yang understood what Old Ice meant. As a professional, rather than blindly seeking an outside personal trainer, it would be better to approach a coach within the Ajax team or ask the club to arrange a completely customized physical strengthening program for him.

"Physical conditioning is a long-term commitment that will span your entire career. You must be prepared to suffer. The more you want to unlock your potential, the more you will have to endure," Old Ice reminded him.

Yang Yang understood. He had seen many players at Ajax who strongly resisted strength training simply because they couldn't take the grueling work.

It was like losing weight; everyone who is overweight knows how important it is, but those who can actually grit their teeth and stick with it are few and far between. It requires immense willpower and self-discipline.

If that's true for simply losing weight, a professional player's physical conditioning requires even greater willpower and self-discipline.

It also demanded long-term dedication. The slightest lapse would mean all previous efforts were wasted.

Yang Yang thought for a moment, then nodded with determination. "I believe I can take it!"

'I made it through the toughest phase of basic training; what hardship could I possibly not endure?'

Of course, physical conditioning was no easier than basic training—in fact, it could be even harder.

......

......

During the layover at Amsterdam International Airport, Yang Yang turned on his phone. He immediately received several text messages from Arie Haan and Captain Zhu, all asking if he would be able to arrive in Kuwait on time.

Normally, the team had to submit its eighteen-man roster one day in advance. The starting lineup could only be chosen from those eighteen players and couldn't be changed. It was now obviously time for the team in Kuwait to submit that roster.

Yang Yang made a point to call Captain Zhu, telling him he had arrived in Amsterdam but would likely land in Kuwait a bit later than planned due to a flight delay.

"Please tell the head coach I'm ready. As long as I make it in time for the match, I can play whenever he needs me."

'The domestic Football Association and league might be a mess, but that had nothing to do with him. He was wearing the National Team's jersey, and he had a responsibility to that jersey and the red flag on his chest.'

'As long as the team needed him, he was willing to give it his all.'

Captain Zhu was deeply moved and promised to relay the message. He also told Yang Yang not to feel too much pressure, since it was ultimately the National Team and the Football Association's fault that he had to make this long journey and rush into a match.

While in Amsterdam, Yang Yang grabbed a few Dutch newspapers to catch up on things while he ate.

Ajax had been in poor form recently, something Yang Yang knew from checking online. But the current situation seemed even worse than he had anticipated; he never expected the team would lose 0-4 away to Bayern Munich.

It was a devastating loss, a complete rout.

Yang Yang immediately called Vermaelen. Since his teammate wasn't yet on the Belgian National Team, he had no match obligations. As soon as he got the call, Vermaelen drove from Oude Kerk to the airport to meet Yang Yang in person.

"The team's in a really bad state right now," Vermaelen said. "A lot of the media are calling for Ronald Koeman to be sacked. Maicon is getting bombarded with criticism and is on the verge of a breakdown. Vlaar and I are under immense pressure too."

From the look on Vermaelen's face, Yang Yang could feel the pressure and self-reproach he was experiencing.

No player likes to lose, and Vermaelen was no exception. When a mistake leads to a loss or a draw, any player would feel guilty and blame themselves.

Of course, the cruel reality of professional leagues is that only winners get to be right.

The media and fans have no time or pity for losers.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I'm just going to the Middle East for one match, and I'll be back before you know it," Yang Yang said, patting his roommate's shoulder comfortingly.

"We're all waiting for you to come back. This whole time you've been gone has been a nightmare," Vermaelen said, shaking his head.

They had always known Yang Yang was important, but they never realized just how important he was.

Without Yang Yang, the team couldn't get anything going on the right flank. Players like Demuer had performed well in the youth team, but they couldn't make an impact in the first team and struggled to create any real threat during matches.

Wesley Sonck, who had been great last season, was in a slump. And the new signing, Charisteas, while a player of great tactical value, wasn't a prolific scorer. This made it difficult for the entire Ajax frontline to pose a real offensive threat.

With an ineffective offense and a weak defense, the team was in a precarious position.