Chapter 277: Grand Formation

Chapter 277: Chapter 270: Grand Formation

After the match against Eindhoven, a two-week international break for National Team games arrived.

Yang Yang received a call-up and returned to China to prepare for the final qualifying round. They would play two consecutive matches: a home game against Japan and an away game against North Korea. These two matches would determine the National Team’s standing in the final qualifying round.

If they could win both, their hopes of qualifying directly from this round would increase dramatically.

Previously, before returning to China after his vacation, Arie Haan had made a special trip to De Toekomst to meet with Yang Yang. He spoke at length about his plans for the National Team in the coming period, such as his intention to call up more young players.

One point he mentioned most frequently was his dissatisfaction with the tall center-forward, Han Peng.

He had been trying to scout a center-forward partner for Yang Yang in the Chinese Super League for a while, but so far, he hadn’t found much success.

Having a center forward up front to clear the way for Yang Yang and absorb defensive pressure would better unleash Yang Yang’s attacking prowess.

Since the end of February, Yang Yang had felt that his form had remained at a stable yet high level. Moreover, coaches with professional playing backgrounds, like Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll, were also teaching him methods to maintain his condition.

After boarding the flight from Amsterdam to Beijing, Yang Yang closed his eyes to sleep and plunged straight into the Super Training space.

‘Kuyt hasn’t scored in three straight games.’

Yang Yang couldn’t help but feel the urge to snicker.

He was now at twenty-one goals, while Kuyt had twenty-two. The gap between them was only a single goal.

But it was strange. Kuyt was really the type of player who was explosive when in form, but his hot streaks came and went quickly. He had scored six goals in three consecutive games before, but now he hadn’t scored in three games straight. It was truly baffling.

The media had previously analyzed that this was already Kuyt’s third goal drought of several consecutive games this season.

Earlier, in September and December, his droughts had lasted for three or four, even five games. There was no telling how long this one would last.

“It’s perfectly normal,” Old Ice explained calmly. “It’s like when someone loves a certain food. If one day they eat too much of it at once, they’ll grow tired of it. It takes some time to adjust and recover. Scoring goals is the same.”

Yang Yang nodded. He understood this feeling deeply.

Back in his hometown, his family of three had loved eating ginger duck and went for it often.

Normally, one ginger duck for the three of them left them wanting a little more. But one time, they ordered an extra one. Although they finished it, they lost all appetite for the delicacy for the next two or three months.

This was exactly what Old Ice was talking about.

For a professional player, scoring goals was like eating ginger duck—you couldn’t get too full.

“Old Ice, according to what you’re saying, does that mean you shouldn’t score too many goals at once?” Yang Yang asked, puzzled.

“No, it depends on the situation.”

“I don’t understand,” Yang Yang said, shaking his head.

“To put it simply, a player’s desire to score is a kind of hunger. The stronger it is, the greater the motivation to score. It’s like when a person is starving; even the most ordinary meal becomes a gourmet feast.”

“For some people, scoring too many goals at once can indeed create a sense of satisfaction, which leads to complacency. That’s just human nature. But others always maintain a hunger, a drive to constantly seek breakthroughs. People like that are never satisfied, no matter how many goals they score.”

Yang Yang understood Old Ice’s meaning. “So which type do you think I am?”

“I don’t know,” Old Ice answered flatly.

“You don’t know?”

“You’ve never faced such a test, so no one knows how you’ll react. For example, this whole season, you’ve been chasing Kuyt. You have a clear goal and direction, so you feel incredibly motivated and find it strange that Kuyt often falls into goal droughts.”

“But maybe, when you have the chance to lead the top scorers’ chart in the future, you might discover that you’re just like Kuyt. Of course, you might be different from him, too. But until you’re actually leading the chart, who knows?”

Yang Yang nodded silently.

It was like how people often say, “If I had a million dollars, I would do this and that,” or “If I were a big star, I would do this and that.” But in reality, they say that because they don’t have a million dollars and aren’t a big star.

Yang Yang was getting a sense of that feeling now.

Before becoming the team’s star player, he had hoped to be like Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic, the top star the club heavily promoted. But after the winter break training camp, when he truly became the team’s number one star, he began to feel a mountain of pressure.

Ajax had drawn with Eindhoven in this round, and as a result, Alkmaar had benefited greatly.

That old fox Van Gaal’s team had crushed Vitesse 3-0 in their match, overtaking them to claim the top spot by a one-point advantage.

Ajax had dropped back to third place in the league, and Yang Yang felt the pressure too.

He had contributed a goal and an assist, earning high praise from the media and fans after the match. Everyone criticized the team’s defensive line, believing it was too weak for allowing the opponent to equalize twice after they took the lead.

But as the star player, Yang Yang still felt the pressure. He felt that he should have scored more goals.

This pressure would only grow as the season neared its end, and the feeling would become more and more intense.

Yang Yang remembered that around this time last season, Van der Vaart had argued with his girlfriend because he couldn’t handle the pressure, which led to their meeting at the Oudekerk Lakefront.

Of course, he believed he wasn’t as fragile as Van der Vaart.

To him, pressure was like a heavy set of shackles. It certainly caused him trouble, but at the same time, it was training him, making him stronger.

Winston Bogard was already preparing sandbags for Yang Yang, planning to have him train with them during the summer.

Whether it was shackles or sandbags, they were both a test and a way to temper him.

… …

… …

When Yang Yang appeared at Capital Airport, he was immediately surrounded by fans who had been waiting for him.

A large, enthusiastic crowd of fans shouted Yang Yang’s name, swarming him at the exit. Behind them, media reporters with an arsenal of cameras all aimed their lenses at Yang Yang, snapping pictures relentlessly.

The scene not only stunned Yang Yang but also shocked the surrounding travelers.

Not even the biggest domestic or international superstars received this kind of treatment!

Many people were even wondering just who could have such a massive influence.

And when more and more people learned that it was Yang Yang who had returned, any travelers with time to spare rushed over to see, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

Reporters from well-known domestic websites had already posted scenes from the event online, drawing gasps of astonishment from netizens.

No one had expected that Yang Yang could inspire such incredible passion from the domestic fans.

Holding his duffel bag, Yang Yang faced the passionate fans, feeling a bit helpless. He kept trying to calm them down, hoping everyone wouldn’t get too disorderly, but with so many people talking and the crowd surging, there was really nothing he could do.

Finally, airport ground staff and security personnel quickly intervened, separating Yang Yang from the enthusiastic fans. They cleared a path for him, escorted him out of the airport, and saw him into the car arranged by the National Team before he left the airport directly.

Even as the car pulled away, he could still see many fans and reporters chasing after them on the road.

“Isn’t this a bit over the top?” Yang Yang said with a wry smile.

“No, no, no, not at all,” the National Team’s driver said with a laugh from the front seat as he drove. “You don’t know this, but even though the Eredivisie isn’t broadcast live in China, the fans follow your news very closely. Every single goal you score causes a huge stir among the fans back home.”

Yang Yang was a little surprised. Although he browsed the Chinese internet, it was mostly to chat with people like Su Ye, Shen Yuzhu, and Wei Zhen, or to catch up on domestic news. He really had no idea the reaction from the fans in China was this big.

“You’ve scored twenty-one goals in the Eredivisie. The fans back home are all hoping you score more, and maybe even break Ronaldo’s record.”

As he said this, the driver wore a proud expression, as if Yang Yang breaking the record would bring him glory as well.

“It’s not that easy,” Yang Yang replied with a humble smile.

Of course he wanted to, and he would even work hard for it, but he wouldn’t go around proclaiming it or shouting slogans.

That wasn’t his personality.

… …

… …

This time, the National Team’s training camp was at the Xianghe Base, but the first match against Japan was scheduled to be held in Tianjin.

Tianjin is close to Japan, so the home-field advantage wasn’t particularly strong, but it was convenient for the subsequent away game against North Korea.

North Korea is close to Japan. If they had chosen a venue to maximize home-field advantage against Japan, the subsequent away trip would have been more troublesome.

Besides, North Korea was no pushover.

Among all the teams that made it to the final qualifying round, there were no weak opponents.

Back in Amsterdam, Arie Haan had mentioned to Yang Yang that many domestic media outlets criticized him for being too conservative. He admitted it himself, speculating that his cautious nature might stem from his past as a defensive midfielder, but he also had his own worries.

The fact was that the Chinese players’ technical and tactical skills were not high, their overall strength was not superior, and their teamwork was lacking. If he wasn’t conservative and cautious, they could drop the ball at any moment.

“I also want to let loose and go all out, but I can’t. The players’ mental fortitude is weak, and they can’t handle the pressure in critical moments. If I’m not a bit conservative, not a bit careful, who knows when we’ll suddenly make a mistake that costs the team the game?”

Yang Yang had discussed this with Zheng Zhi, Zhao Junzhe, and others, and they all agreed that Arie Haan’s caution was not without reason.

At the end of the day, Chinese Football had never demonstrated convincing strength to prove it was a powerhouse in Asia.

Since they weren’t a powerhouse, they could only be realistic and approach things from the position of an underdog.

Of all the teams in the final qualifying round, was there a single one the Chinese Team could say they were guaranteed to beat?

Never mind Japan and Iran; even North Korea was no soft target that could be easily pushed around.

The media and fans didn’t understand the real situation, so their thoughts and comments were understandable. But the National Team had to remain clear-headed, exercise self-discipline, and treat every single match in the final qualifying round like a final. Only then would they have a chance of winning.

Yang Yang’s return to the team was immediately a cause for major celebration at the Xianghe Base.

The team leader and the coaching staff all welcomed Yang Yang back, asking about his recent form and performance, and encouraging him to keep up the good work.

This time, Arie Haan had also called up more young players, including some of Yang Yang’s teammates from the National Youth Team.

Right after Yang Yang returned, Chen Tao was the first to come find him for help.