Chapter 264: God

Chapter 264: Chapter 257: God

After the second half began, Iran continued to intensify their attack.

The Chinese Team continued to sit back and defend steadily in their own half, allowing Iran to organize their offense from the perimeter.

Yang Yang, meanwhile, remained near the halfway line, moving laterally to harass and pressure the opposing backline. This prevented Iran’s defenders from pushing up, stopping them from committing fully to their attack.

Unable to break through after repeated attacks, Iran grew increasingly anxious.

At Azadi Stadium, the Iran Team’s record was truly brilliant. They had rarely lost there in decades. This was an advantage that filled everyone on the Iranian side with confidence they could defeat any visiting foe.

But when they couldn’t overcome their opponent, that home-field advantage would turn into a source of mounting anxiety and impatience.

The Chinese Team’s playstyle was indeed very conservative. For the first ten-plus minutes of the second half, they didn’t even manage a single shot. Most of their entries into the final third of the pitch were just long clearances from their midfielders and defenders, giving Yang Yang few opportunities.

But Yang Yang didn’t grow impatient because of it.

Not only did he remain calm himself, but he also constantly used words and gestures to reassure his teammates.

He knew very well that for the Chinese Team, even a 0-0 draw away against Iran would be a very acceptable result. But it was different for Iran. Their strategy was to fight for all three points at home and then secure a draw on the road.

More importantly, as time went on, the unbeaten record at Azadi Stadium would slowly become a heavy burden on their minds.

Furthermore, Yang Yang also began to notice that after the second half started, both of Iran’s full-backs were pushing much further up the field.

Attack on the right, defend on the left—this was the Iran Team’s strategy. It was how they played during the Asian Cup, and it was the same in this match.

But after failing to break the deadlock in the first half, their left-back also started to boldly push forward on the attack once the second half began.

All these details pointed to the Iran Team’s desperation to score.

Arie Haan was also sweating bullets on the sidelines, constantly shouting at his players, signaling for them to stay calm and be patient.

During a dead ball, Yang Yang also ran back to the midfield.

“When you get a chance, play it wide more often. On the counter, hit the wings directly. I’ll run over to receive it.”

After saying a few quick words, Yang Yang ran off again.

Zhao Junzhe, Shao Jiayi, and the others quickly understood.

……

……

As the match clock hit the sixty-minute mark, neither head coach seemed to have any intention of making a substitution.

Iran kept organizing attacks and creating chances in the Chinese Team’s half, but the National Team players held their ground stubbornly in front of the penalty area.

Yang Yang was still roaming near the halfway line. He made a lot of lateral runs, but no one was paying attention to his movement patterns.

When the ball was on the Chinese Team’s left, he would be closer to Iran’s right center-back. When the ball was on the right, he would be closer to the left center-back. But his movements were subtle, and no one noticed.

Only the Chinese Team players knew that Yang Yang was waiting for a pass from a teammate behind him.

Yang Yang’s patience was the National Team’s hope.

With that hope, everyone found the motivation to continue their tenacious defense.

Yang Yang was also finding it hard to adapt to this kind of match situation.

Back at Ajax, even against European powerhouses like Real Madrid and Juventus, his teammates could always create chances for the forwards; it was just a matter of how many.

But tonight, in this match against Iran, the Chinese Team was truly being pushed into a desperate corner.

There was a definite gap in skill, and the home-field advantage played a role as well.

But Yang Yang didn’t blame his teammates for it. After all, it was a fact that no one could change.

Fortunately, since Arie Haan took over, the Chinese Team’s defense had improved and was very cohesive.

Even in the second half, with their stamina draining rapidly, they were still able to maintain their formation. That was no easy feat, because as long as the formation held, the team’s baseline performance wouldn’t drop too low.

……

……

The Iran Team once again sent the ball into the Chinese Team’s final third.

But the Chinese Team had tightened up the center, giving Iran no chance to penetrate and forcing them to pass back towards the halfway line.

After receiving the ball, Iran’s left center-back saw Yang Yang approaching and quickly passed it laterally to the right center-back in the center circle.

Yang Yang immediately left the left center-back and turned to pressure the right one.

But unexpectedly, before Yang Yang could even run into the center circle, the Iranian center-back sent a diagonal pass, switching the play back to the Chinese Team’s left flank.

Iran was still insisting on attacking down their right wing, which was the Chinese Team’s left flank.

This was Iran’s traditional channel of attack.

Yang Yang immediately turned around and ran back to the left side again.

Shao Jiayi quickly tracked back with the opposing player, forming a double team with Sun Xiang.

Just as the Iran Team moved the ball to the center again, Zheng Zhi suddenly rushed out of the penalty area and intercepted the ball.

With that one interception, the situation on the field was instantly reversed.

Yang Yang’s first reaction was to check his position relative to the Iranian center-back. ‘Not offside!’

Zheng Zhi put nearly all his strength into a long ball, hoofing it forward.

At that same instant, Yang Yang burst into motion, sprinting forward.

In that moment, Yang Yang was like a Cheetah that had locked onto its prey, tearing through Iran’s defensive line with lightning speed.

“The Chinese Team launches a quick counter-attack!”

“Zheng Zhi with a long ball over the top!”

“Yang Yang is on his run! The referee hasn’t blown the whistle—Yang Yang is not offside!”

After flying past the halfway line, the ball quickly came down.

Yang Yang’s speed was incredible. He chased the ball all the way, and with the Iranian Goalkeeper hesitant to come out, he finally caught up to his teammate’s pass just outside the left of the penalty area.

But Iran’s two center-backs also tracked back with great speed. They were right on Yang Yang’s heels, and by the time he received the ball, they were already back inside the box. One blocked the left corner of the penalty area, while the other hung back slightly, ready to provide cover.

After reaching the ball, Yang Yang didn’t slow down. Instead, he immediately charged with the ball toward the Iranian center-back inside the penalty area.

He knew very well that if he waited for his teammates to catch up, Iran’s defense would have time to get organized.

‘Can’t wait. I have to do this myself!’

The Iranian left center-back had just gotten back into the penalty area when he saw Yang Yang charging at him with the ball. His speed was immense, giving him no time to breathe. The defender treated him like a formidable enemy, his eyes glued to Yang Yang.

The two met at the left corner of the penalty area.

Yang Yang first dipped his left shoulder and leaned in close, making it look like he was going to take it to the byline and burst into the box.

The Iranian left center-back was forced to give ground. Since he was already inside the penalty area, if he went in for a hard tackle and made significant physical contact, there was no guarantee this cunning Chinese player wouldn’t go down and win a penalty.

Yang Yang was fully prepared for this reaction.

The famous Ajax winger, John van Schip, once said that in a one-on-one, once you enter the penalty area, the defender is basically hamstrung. They’re put in an extremely passive and awkward position because they’re afraid of giving away a penalty.

Yang Yang was now exploiting this very mentality, confident the defender would fall for it.

Seeing the defender give way, Yang Yang quickly cut the ball back with his left foot.

The whole process sounds long, but it happened in the blink of an eye. The moment they came into contact, Yang Yang had already feinted past Iran’s left center-back, cutting inside along the edge of the penalty area.

“The Pendulum Move!”

“It’s Yang Yang’s signature move, the Pendulum Move!”

A gasp of astonishment rippled through the entire Azadi Stadium.

But on the pitch, after getting past the left center-back, Yang Yang didn’t get distracted. He quickly swung his right foot back, faking a shot. The move deceived the right center-back who had been providing cover, causing him to pale and immediately rush forward to block with the side of his body.

But Yang Yang didn’t shoot. It was a feint. He took another step toward the center, creating more space, and only then did he unleash a powerful, thunderous shot with his right foot!

Yang Yang had scored several goals from this area, and he was gradually getting the feel for cutting in from the wing and shooting with his weaker foot.

Using his right foot from the left flank, and his left foot from the right—he was becoming more and more skilled at it.

Everyone in the stadium heard a loud BANG. The ball shot from Yang Yang’s foot like a bolt of lightning, tracing a beautiful arc before crashing into the Iran Team’s goal, almost scraping the corner where the right post meets the crossbar.

“GOAL!!!!!!”

“GOAL!!!!!!”

“In the sixty-eighth minute, the Chinese Team has finally broken through the Iran Team’s goal!”

“Yang Yang! It’s Yang Yang again!”

“I’m at a loss for words to describe this feeling right now! I have the urge to bow down and worship Yang Yang! He’s like an omnipotent god!”

As soon as he struck the ball, Yang Yang knew it was going in.

He quickly turned, sprinted toward the sideline, and leaped lightly over the advertising hoardings, running along the athletic track with his arms spread wide.

This scene was broadcast live back to the country, witnessed by countless fans gathered in front of their televisions.

At that moment, an unknown number of fans were moved to tears.

One-nil!

“This is an absolute showcase of Yang Yang’s individual ability!”

“Yang Yang created the Chinese Team’s first shot in the first half, but unfortunately, Shao Jiayi missed the chance to score. Yang Yang laid low for almost the entire match, but at the crucial moment, he revealed his killer instinct.”

“He’s single-handedly dragging this Chinese Team forward, and he’s only eighteen years old!”

By the end, even the commentator from National Television was choking up.

“Azadi Stadium holds countless nightmares for Chinese Football.”

“Even before tonight’s match, the most optimistic fans thought a draw was the best we could hope for.”

“But unexpectedly, with the only real chance he had all game, Yang Yang seized it.”

“That’s what a star player is! That’s a clutch player!”

……

……

The moment Yang Yang scored against the Iran Team at Tehran Azadi Stadium, far away in Beijing, Su Wenhong leaped from his sofa in excitement, shouting and roaring at the heavens.

Beside him, Su Ye, whom Yang Yang considered a little sister, felt her eyes turn red, moved by the sight of Yang Yang on screen—celebrating with his arms spread wide as he sprinted along the track, before finally being mobbed by his teammates.

In the southern city of Quanzhou, Yang Yang’s mother couldn’t help but cry out loud.

His father, Wei Zheng, and Shen Yuzhu also felt tears welling up in their eyes.

As his family and friends, watching their loved one battle it out on the pitch, they felt it a thousand times more deeply than any ordinary person.