Chapter 268: Not for Sale

Chapter 268: Chapter 261: Not for Sale

Compared to other sports, a football match features eleven players per side. Including the referee, there are twenty-three people on the pitch. With the exception of the two goalkeepers, whose movements are confined to their penalty areas, the remaining players are almost constantly moving at high speed, weaving and making off-the-ball runs. The slightest lapse in attention can cause you to miss a crucial detail.

For any competitive sport, concentration is one of the most important fundamental attributes a player can possess.

This is especially true for football, with so many players and frequent, overlapping runs.

And in a football match, the most common problem caused by a lack of focus is failing to read the developing play.

When Ajax won possession in their own half, Maxwell received the ball on the left flank near the halfway line and looked upfield. Auxerre’s left-back, Jores, clearly didn’t sense the impending danger, as he assumed the play was still developing on the left.

But then, Maxwell hit a quick, long diagonal pass, sending the ball flying behind Auxerre’s left-back and left-sided center-back. Only then did Jores scramble to realize the danger.

Just as he turned to give chase, Yang Yang had already flashed past him at top speed. Like a gust of wind, he quickly caught up to the ball and brought it down effortlessly with his chest.

Fortunately for Auxerre, not all their defenders had lost focus like Jores.

Miniot reacted instantly, tracking back quickly to get in front of Yang Yang.

It was a one-on-one. After bringing the ball down with his chest, Yang Yang immediately accelerated, attempting to use his Pendulum Move to get past the defender. But Miniot was decisive, committing a foul and tripping Yang Yang.

The referee showed him a yellow card without hesitation.

The foul gave Auxerre a moment to breathe, and they quickly retreated into their own box to set up their defense.

Yang Yang’s delivery from the right flank accurately found Charisteas, but the Greek striker’s header grazed just over the crossbar.

Although it didn’t result in a goal, Ajax had forced the opposing center-back onto a yellow card just six minutes into the match. Ronald Koeman’s opening strategy was working, and Yang Yang was off to a brilliant start.

On the sideline, the veteran coach Guy Roux was exasperated, complaining incessantly to the fourth official. He clearly felt the punishment was too severe.

For a defender, especially a center-back, playing on a yellow card is like having your hands tied. You can’t play freely.

Of course, the alternative was worse. If he hadn’t committed the foul, Yang Yang would have been past him and charging into the box. It would have been difficult for Cabul to stop him then, and conceding a goal would have put them in an even more difficult position.

So, Miniot’s decision was understandable.

……

……

Ronald Koeman stood on the sideline, looking relatively relaxed ever since the match began.

When he saw Yang Yang draw the yellow card from Miniot, he broke into a smile.

Although the subsequent set piece didn’t lead to a goal, this outcome was already excellent.

“The kid’s burst of acceleration is getting better and better,” Ronald Koeman praised. “Especially in that first move to shake off a defender.”

“Indeed,” Luther Carroll nodded. “Neither of those two Auxerre defenders could stop him. It’s a good thing Miniot committed that foul, otherwise, it would have been a certain goal.”

Looking back at the pitch, they saw Yang Yang dropping back, but simultaneously urging his teammates to focus their attacks on the right flank. Luther Carroll and Ronald Koeman exchanged another smile.

‘What a clever kid!’

Miniot was already on a yellow card, forcing him to play cautiously. Yang Yang telling his teammates to attack his side was like kicking a man when he’s down—exploiting the weakness to a fatal degree.

In football, that’s an absolutely commendable decision.

“At the rate he’s improving, I don’t know how much longer he’ll stay at Ajax,” Ronald Koeman sighed out of the blue, a touch of melancholy in his heart.

Last season’s Champions League run had been perilous. Ajax had faced several dangerous situations and had only scraped through by the skin of their teeth.

Last summer, they’d sold off five key players in one fell swoop. Ronald Koeman had been mentally prepared for the worst, and the club had lowered its expectations for their results. But unexpectedly, Yang Yang’s progress was astonishingly fast, and he shouldered the team’s burdens far earlier than anyone had anticipated.

But the better he performed, the more Ronald Koeman worried that he would soon leave Ajax.

In fact, a few teams had already inquired about his price during the winter break, but Ajax refused to sell.

Although the club publicly stated that Yang Yang was not for sale, Ronald Koeman knew the truth. It was only because no one had offered a price that the club deemed satisfactory.

‘There’s no such thing as ‘not for sale’ in professional football.’

“Raiola’s reputation isn’t great, that’s true, but Yang Yang has a mind of his own. I believe he knows perfectly well what choices he needs to make. The different paths Van der Vaart, Van der Meede, and Ibrahimovic took will certainly serve as a cautionary tale for him.”

Ronald Koeman nodded upon hearing Luther Carroll’s words.

“Whatever happens, let’s just focus on finishing this season first.”

……

……

On the pitch, at Yang Yang’s signal, Ajax’s attack immediately shifted its focus to the right flank.

Yang Yang and Maicon, the new partnership on the right flank, were already renowned for their attacking prowess. With Sneijder joining in, Ajax’s attacks down the right became relentless, placing immense pressure on Auxerre’s left side.

Ajax had lost five key players this season, and their strength was undeniably weakened. But they were still a team that had battled against Juventus and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Combined with the explosive emergence of Yang Yang, they still held a slight edge over Auxerre.

Especially with Yang Yang in such active form, Auxerre’s left flank was constantly struggling to cope.

In the twenty-first minute, Pinaar, from the left, played a diagonal ball to the edge of the box. Charisteas laid it off to Yang Yang on the right.

Finding no immediate opening, Yang Yang played a first-time pass back to Sneijder in the midfield.

Sneijder quickly played a square pass out to the right flank for the overlapping Maicon. After receiving the ball, Maicon drove to the right side of the penalty area, drawing Jores out of position before cutting a sudden pass back across the box.

By then, Yang Yang had found a pocket of space. Receiving Maicon’s cut-back inside the box, he faced Miniot, dragged the ball to his left, and immediately unleashed a shot with his left foot!

“Yang Yang!!!”

“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!”

“In the twenty-first minute, Ajax takes the lead against Auxerre!”

“What a crisp and decisive attack!”

“Ajax started the attack on the left, a flick-on from Charisteas, Yang Yang with a one-touch pass to Sneijder, who then switched it to Maicon on the right. Maicon and Yang Yang showed great chemistry; after drawing out the defender, he played the ball across the middle.”

“In a one-on-one situation, and inside the penalty area no less, the Auxerre center-back Miniot was extremely cautious. He’s already on a yellow card, so he could only watch helplessly as Yang Yang created an opening and put the ball in the back of the net!”

The entire Amsterdam Arena erupted, chanting Yang Yang’s name.

Yang Yang sprinted off the pitch, arms spread wide, running towards the base of the stands to celebrate his goal with the fans.

It seemed like an easy goal, mainly because his run had put Miniot in a very awkward position.

Of course, a lot of the credit went to Maicon for the assist.

So, when his teammates piled on, Yang Yang excitedly threw his arm around Maicon, sharing the crowd’s adulation with him.

The Brazilian right-back was also thrilled.

He now joined Yang Yang for a run every morning, followed by strength training. After the team’s official practice, he would also stay behind with Yang Yang to work on his first touch. All of this extra work was helping him rapidly shore up his previous weaknesses in physical challenges and defense.

As his strength and defensive skills improved, his starting position in the first team became more and more secure.

Gregory, who had once been a threat to his position, was now relegated to the bench.

And he had Yang Yang to thank for all of it.

……

……

After Yang Yang broke the deadlock with his goal, the veteran coach Guy Roux looked visibly annoyed.

Auxerre quickly adjusted their tactics, focusing more on defense. This made it difficult for Ajax to create any more dangerous scoring chances for the remainder of the first half.

Yang Yang also found himself heavily marked and was unable to get any more clear-cut chances.

The first half ended with Ajax holding a one-nil lead. After switching sides, Ajax resumed their first-half strategy: a steady, deliberate probing of Auxerre’s left flank, specifically targeting Miniot.

In the fifty-third minute, Yang Yang again found an opportunity on the right. Facing Jores one-on-one, Yang Yang powered forward, driving down the right wing and into the Auxerre penalty area. Just as both Jores and Miniot focused all their attention on him, Yang Yang suddenly cut the ball back to an overlapping Maicon.

The Brazilian right-back received the pass, cut into the box through the right channel, and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot, once again finding the back of Auxerre’s net.

Two-nil!

This goal all but sealed the victory for Ajax.

At this point in the match, Auxerre had no choice but to double down on their defending.

If they were thrashed in the first leg, the second leg would be all but meaningless.

Even with his team leading by two goals, Yang Yang was still hungry for more, continuing to make frequent runs down the right wing.

Barely eight minutes after the last goal, Yang Yang once again received a pass from Charisteas and drove into the box. Facing Miniot head-on, the Auxerre center-back, left with no other option, stuck out a leg and brought Yang Yang down.

The referee immediately blew his whistle, pointed to the spot, and showed the defender a yellow card.

This was the Auxerre center-back’s second yellow card, resulting in a red. He was sent off and would now be suspended for the second leg.

Yang Yang magnanimously handed the penalty-taking duty to Galasek.

The Czech veteran commanded great respect in the locker room and was also the team captain. He had previously led the initiative for the team to help Yang Yang win the league’s Top Scorer award, an act for which Yang Yang was very grateful. Besides, he had been the team’s designated penalty taker for some time.

Galasek calmly converted the penalty, extending the lead to three-nil.

Shortly after, Yang Yang was substituted off, with Wesley Sonck coming on to replace him.

Six minutes after Yang Yang left the pitch, Maxwell scored another goal, extending the lead to four-nil.

In a two-legged tie, Ajax had all but ended the contest in the first leg alone.