Chapter 237 230: Iron Man

"Ajax is making their first substitution."

"Yang Yang, wearing the number eleven jersey, is coming on to replace Tom Demuure."

"After playing in the European Super Cup, Yang Yang returned to Asia for National Team matches. It was during his absence that Ajax continuously dropped points, widening the gap between them, Eindhoven, and Feyenoord."

"You could say that for all of September and October, the Ajax fans had been eagerly awaiting Yang Yang's return."

"The fans in the stadium are chanting Yang Yang's name. His popularity at the club is immense, and everyone has high hopes for him."

"We'll see if Yang Yang can replicate his brilliant performance from three days ago against Kuwait tonight."

...

...

Amidst a roar of cheers from the fans, Yang Yang embraced Demuure and officially stepped onto the pitch.

This was his first time coming on as a substitute for Ajax this season, yet it felt strangely familiar.

But familiar teammates like Ibrahimovic, Van der Vaart, and Talabesi were gone, replaced by the unfamiliar Charisteas.

No matter how you looked at it, it was difficult for the Greek striker to replace Ibrahimovic's role on the front line, even though his tactical value seemed somewhat higher.

After taking a deep breath, Yang Yang quickly sprinted into the right half-space, coming face-to-face with the opposition's left-sided player, Filipovic.

Both Filipovic and Bodor had been on the field last season when Ajax defeated Roda JC 4-2 away from home, and they were quite wary of Yang Yang.

Who in the entire Netherlands football scene didn't know Yang Yang's "Golden Substitute" nickname from last season?

His reputation preceded him.

While making opposing defenders wary should have been a good thing, Yang Yang was feeling rather frustrated right now.

Because both Filipovic and Bodor were sticking to him tightly, and Filipovic was no longer actively pushing forward to attack.

This was clearly an instruction from the manager on the sidelines.

Roda JC could accept a 0-0 draw, but Ajax could not.

The plan Yang Yang had before coming on was now unworkable. He had to change his approach, patiently making runs and weaving through the defense, looking for an opening.

Soon, he received a pass from Sneijder in the right channel, shook off a defender, and sent the ball to Charisteas's feet with his left foot.

The Greek striker received the ball at the top of the penalty arc, but his first touch was poor. This meant he couldn't execute a turn and shoot, and he ended up losing the ball.

He was no Ibrahimovic, after all.

Yang Yang apologetically raised his right hand toward the Greek striker, taking the blame for the mistake himself.

He no longer needed to prove himself, but Charisteas still needed to build his confidence within the team.

Soon, Yang Yang got another chance. After dropping back to receive a pass from De Jong, he shook off Filipovic and curled a diagonal pass with his left foot into the space behind the defense. However, Pinaar didn't read his intention and failed to make the run in time, causing the ball to go straight out for a goal kick.

Both attacks showed good ideas, but neither managed to create a real threat.

On the sidelines, Ronald Koeman couldn't stay seated any longer and finally made his second substitution.

Wesley Sonck replaced the veteran Galasek.

With this change, Ajax returned to their familiar 4-3-3 formation. Wesley Sonck took the left wing, forming an attacking trident with Charisteas and Yang Yang, while Pinaar dropped back to partner Sneijder and De Jong in midfield.

By now, the clock had ticked past the seventy-third minute.

Ronald Koeman clearly still wanted the team to play more proactively and create more chances.

Yang Yang gained more freedom on the right flank and began to expand his area of movement, actively making runs to find space. But Roda JC's two wide players stuck to him tightly, making it difficult for him to make an impact.

Time ticked by, second by second, finally passing the eighty-minute mark.

The Ajax fans, who had been hoping Yang Yang's arrival would instantly change the game, gradually calmed down. They were realizing that their opponents were far tougher than anyone had expected.

So what now?

Ronald Koeman had no more moves to make. He was out of options.

The players currently on the pitch were already the best attacking combination he could field. Who else could he possibly bring on?

If even Yang Yang couldn't find a way through, then they were truly helpless.

Roda JC, on the other hand, grew more confident with every minute they defended.

For them, a 0-0 draw would be a victory.

And now, it was as if they could see the goddess of victory waving at them.

Ajax continued to search patiently for an opportunity. The advantage of having Sneijder and Pinaar was their composure.

Yang Yang wasn't anxious either, because he had always been told that the more critical the moment, the more composed one must be.

Ronald Koeman also realized that the right-back, Gregory, wasn't providing enough support for Yang Yang, often leaving him surrounded by two players. This made it difficult for Yang Yang to utilize his strengths, so Koeman gestured insistently from the sideline for Gregory to push further forward.

With Gregory positioned further up the pitch, the pressure on Yang Yang eased considerably.

Before, the link-up play between Sneijder and Yang Yang had been too predictable. But with Gregory overlapping, there was now an extra passing option, creating a triangle that was much harder for the opposition to defend.

Soon, this triangular play on the right flank created an opportunity.

Yang Yang received a pass from Pinaar in the right channel, but with no opening, he passed it back to Sneijder. Instead of running off, he stayed close to Bodor.

Sneijder, whose on-field chemistry with Yang Yang was growing ever stronger, clearly understood his intention. 'Bodor has been drawn out to the edge of the box, leaving space behind him. Yang has the advantage with his speed. But a direct pass won't work. Bodor would just shield him, and Yang would never get to the ball.'

So, Sneijder quickly passed the ball to Gregory, signaling for him to play a diagonal ball to Yang Yang.

The instant Gregory received the ball and made the diagonal pass, Yang Yang burst into motion, darting past Bodor's right side and into the space behind him.

Gregory had the right idea and the pass was made, but it was a bit overhit, heading straight for the byline.

This took both Sneijder and Yang Yang by complete surprise.

But there was nothing for it. Yang Yang could only accelerate further to chase it down.

"Gregory has overhit that pass!"

"But Yang Yang isn't giving up on it!"

"Bodor is in hot pursuit right behind him!"

Yang Yang was well aware of Bodor chasing him from behind, but he had no choice. He had to chase the ball at top speed, or it would go out of play.

Finally, he caught up to the ball just before it crossed the byline, but Bodor had also caught up and was right on his left.

In that instant, Yang Yang knew he had no angle for a cross. Forcing it would only deflect off Bodor for a corner kick at best.

'But I'm already at the edge of the box! This is such a great chance.'

Thinking on his feet, Yang Yang came to a sudden stop and pulled the ball back, keeping it just in play before it crossed the byline. His own momentum carried him out of bounds, but he quickly regained his balance.

The nearby Bodor wasn't so lucky. Reacting hastily, he was completely wrong-footed and shot past Yang Yang, right out of play.

Yang Yang quickly dragged the ball horizontally with his left foot and charged into the penalty area. He used his body to shield the ball from Bodor, who was now behind him and off the pitch. The advantage was all his.

Bodor didn't dare commit a foul. He didn't even dare to touch Yang Yang.

The slightest touch, and Yang Yang would go down. It would be a penalty.

After shielding Bodor with his body, Yang Yang dribbled along the byline toward the goal.

The Roda JC Goalkeeper stood firm by the post, giving Yang Yang no angle to shoot. The opposing center-back had also tracked back quickly and was positioned right beside the keeper.

In this situation, Yang Yang had no angle at all.

But Yang Yang gave his opponents no time to react. Dribbling quickly along the edge of the six-yard box, he suddenly feinted, pulling the ball to his left. He shaped to shoot with his left foot, baiting the center-back into making a challenge.

Just as the defender's right foot lifted off the ground, Yang Yang gently pushed the ball sideways with his left.

The ball rolled right under the defender's raised right foot—a nutmeg—and into the space behind him.

It was only in that moment that Charisteas snapped to his senses and simply tapped the ball with his right foot.

The ball hit his right foot, changed direction, and rolled into the Roda JC goal.

The Greek striker was stunned!

But the fans in the stadium went wild!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"In the eighty-seventh minute, Ajax has finally broken through Roda JC's goal!"

"An absolutely brilliant run from Yang Yang on the right wing! Even though Gregory overhit the pass, Yang Yang refused to give up, chasing it down right at the byline. He kept the ball in, blew past Bodor's defense, and drove into the penalty area."

"Then, with the Goalkeeper and center-back blocking all his shooting angles, he masterfully created a sliver of passing space with a feint and slid the ball through the defender's legs to Charisteas, who was waiting in the middle."

"The Greek striker was basically handed the goal on a silver platter! All he had to do was simple: tap the ball into the open net. Neither the Goalkeeper nor the center-back could do a thing to stop him."

"One-nil!"

"Ajax finally gets their goal in the eighty-seventh minute!"

"Yang Yang! It had to be Yang Yang!"

"In the crucial moment, it's another outstanding performance from Yang Yang that has saved Ajax!"

"After saving the Chinese National Team and Arie Haan three days ago, tonight Yang Yang has saved Ajax and Ronald Koeman."

"He is simply astounding!"

"Before the match, some media outlets ran the numbers. On the tenth, Yang Yang flew from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing; from Beijing to Amsterdam; from Amsterdam to Kuwait City; and finally returned to Amsterdam from Kuwait. The total journey spanned 20,000 kilometers. In the short span of eight days, from the ninth to the sixteenth, Yang Yang played in three separate matches."

"Eight days, three matches, 20,000 kilometers... he's practically an iron man. What's even more incredible is that he played a decisive role in all three games. You simply have to admire his brilliance."

"The credit for this goal from Charisteas should belong almost entirely to Yang Yang. And if Ajax holds on to win tonight, Yang Yang will undoubtedly be the team's man of the match."

"The Ajax fans in the stadium have erupted."

"They're all chanting Yang Yang's name. This is on track to be Ajax's first victory in two months."

"The returning Yang Yang has once again let them taste the sweet joy of victory."