Chapter 340 - 333: Creating a Miracle

Gradually, Yang Yang lost track of time, forgot everything.

He only felt his body getting hotter and hotter, burning up.

He ran nonstop, constantly waiting for an opportunity.

He had always believed that persistence would bring hope!

He had always believed that the World was fair. If you weren’t as skilled as others, you could only make up for it with diligence and hard work.

And he had always believed that he would get another chance.

Even though eighty-eight minutes had passed, even though the head coaches on the sidelines were already starting to prepare for extra time.

But just then, as the Argentina Team attacked down the Chinese Team’s left flank, about thirty meters out, Amentros tried to switch the play to the right with a long ball. Wang Hongliang used his body to muscle him, stuck out a foot, and blocked it. The ball deflected off his foot, changing direction.

Cui Peng was already out of gas, but when he saw the ball flying toward him, he gritted his teeth and chased after it.

Control the ball, head up, look forward... Yang Yang!

The instant Cui Peng received the ball, Yang Yang burst from the left flank, running toward the center and pointing ahead of himself.

Cui Peng understood immediately and passed the ball forward.

But perhaps because of his extreme fatigue, his technique was a little off.

He had meant to play a pass to feet, but it ended up as a half-high ball instead.

That kind of ball is difficult to handle and receive, especially when trying to figure out the next move.

’This is going to be tough,’ Yang Yang thought grimly, but he still sprinted toward it without hesitation.

Sabella’s stamina was nearly gone. His reaction was a beat slow, and when he gave chase, he was a step behind Yang Yang. However, he chose to position himself behind and to the side of Yang Yang, planning to make a tackle the moment Yang Yang controlled the ball and turned.

Through his God’s Vision, Yang Yang had already seen Sabella’s position and strategy. He also noticed Biglia closing in fast. The two worked well together; just like before, the moment he controlled the ball, he’d be trapped in a double-team and forced to pass back.

But this time, he was truly out of time.

And in that instant, Yang Yang decided to take a gamble.

Facing the pass from Cui Peng, Yang Yang read its trajectory. Instead of stopping the ball, he flicked it up with his right foot.

After the flick, Yang Yang quickly closed in on Sabella, using his body to shield him off for a moment.

This block caught Sabella off guard, causing him to hesitate.

Sometimes, things on a football pitch change in a flash. That single moment of hesitation meant Sabella could no longer catch up to Yang Yang.

Then, Yang Yang exploded with speed, running into the space behind Sabella, toward the left corner of the area in front of Argentina’s box.

The ball traveled alongside Yang Yang to the left corner of the penalty area, but Biglia was chasing him down.

The Argentinian midfielder pressed him relentlessly, giving Yang Yang no breathing room.

But Yang Yang’s skill gave him courage. Just as the ball was about to land, he met it with his foot. As he controlled it, he simultaneously took a touch forward, feinting a sudden cross from the byline and forcing Biglia to follow him closely.

But then, Yang Yang came to an abrupt stop.

With that change of pace, from fast to slow, Yang Yang finally brought the ball under full control.

Outside the left corner of the box, it was one-on-one: Yang Yang versus Biglia.

The whole sequence sounds long when described, but in reality, it happened in the blink of an eye.

Yang Yang’s series of brilliant and dazzling moves allowed him to control the ball despite being double-teamed by two Argentinian players, earning a round of thunderous applause from the crowd.

But Yang Yang knew all too well that time was not on his side.

He lifted his head, glanced at Gao Lin and Chen Tao’s positions, and suddenly burst into motion.

A Pendulum Move. The feint shook off Biglia, and he cut inside toward the center with the ball.

Argentina’s center-back, Pasata, knew the danger of Yang Yang cutting in from the left and immediately moved up to block him.

Biglia didn’t have eyes in the back of his head. He had no idea Pasata would suddenly charge forward, and the two nearly collided.

But Yang Yang suddenly made a square pass to the right side of the arc. After a sharp stop, he abruptly changed direction, making a diagonal run past Biglia’s left side toward the left goalpost.

The moment Yang Yang cut inside, Chen Tao knew he needed support.

At this point, there were four defenders in and around Argentina’s box. Garay had been pulled to the right of the penalty spot by Gao Lin, leaving Yang Yang to face three opponents alone. He would have been swarmed. So, seeing Yang Yang cut in, Chen Tao rushed over to help.

As the ball arrived, Chen Tao instantly understood. He threaded a diagonal pass right through the gap between Pasata and Garay, toward the left side of the goal.

Biglia reacted incredibly fast, spinning around to give chase. Seeing he wasn’t going to stop Yang Yang in time, he went for a slide tackle. He didn’t care if it resulted in a penalty or even a red card.

But Yang Yang was clearly a step faster. Meeting the incoming ball, he didn’t even take a touch, swinging his left foot and striking it first-time!

The shot was fast and sudden. The ball traveled at incredible speed, aimed at a wicked angle, right for the space between the right post and the side netting.

The Argentinian Goalkeeper, Ustari, also had lightning-fast reflexes and dove to make the save.

He got a hand to it, but the sudden shot was too fast and powerful. His hand couldn’t stop the ball; it only deflected it, sending it crashing into the net behind him.

Only at that moment did Yang Yang clearly see the goal!

And only at that moment did the entire stadium erupt in a thunderous roar.

The moment the referee, Taye Heyug, blew his whistle to signal a valid goal, Yang Yang found a burst of energy from nowhere. He dashed off the pitch, sprinting all the way to the sideline.

All the fans in the stadium were frantically shouting his name, but Yang Yang couldn’t pay attention to anything else.

He ran all the way to the section of the stands where his family and friends were, spread his arms wide with a wild laugh, and finally collapsed to his knees at the edge of the field, strength completely gone.

...

"Yang Yang! A hat-trick!!!"

The National Television commentator’s voice was choked with emotion.

"I truly can’t control my emotions right now. Please forgive my unprofessionalism, but I just can’t hold it in. I believe this will go down as the greatest match in the history of Chinese Football!"

"It will surely be recorded in the annals of Chinese Football, maybe even in the annals of China itself! A match that everyone will remember forever, especially because of Yang Yang!"

"Argentina’s performance was nothing short of outstanding. They fought back tenaciously from being down twice to level the score."

"But after the opponent equalized twice, Yang Yang went and created a miracle!"

"Three to two! The Chinese Team has taken the lead once again!"

...

Seeing Yang Yang collapse to his knees on the sideline, his mother couldn’t help but start crying.

His aunt and cousin, as well as Ye Ziqing, were also shedding tears.

Although they didn’t understand football, they were swept up by the tense atmosphere and the fierce, back-and-forth nature of the match. They could imagine just how hard-won that goal was.

Even the men, like Yang Yang’s father, Su Wenhong, and Wei Zhen, were all gritting their teeth, their eyes bloodshot with excitement. The moment Yang Yang scored, they all let out a collective roar.

At some point, Su Ye had already started crying, two streams of silent tears running down her face.

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, she couldn’t see anyone else clearly. Her gaze was fixed on Yang Yang, kneeling below their section of the stands. Even the players, staff, and coaches swarming around him seemed to fade into the background.

Only Yang Yang, at the center of it all, was so brilliantly dazzling!

’He did it!’

’He did it again!’

...

"Yang Yang hasn’t gotten up from the ground for a while now."

"The referee, Taye Heyug, is going over to see what’s wrong. The Chinese Team’s players have dispersed."

"We can see now, Yang Yang has a cramp."

"This is absolutely unprecedented. Yang Yang has played himself to the point of cramping. This is a first, but you can just imagine the effort and desire to win he’s put into this match."

"The Argentinian players are coming over to protest, believing Yang Yang is intentionally wasting time."

"Referee Taye Heyug has indicated that he will add the time back for Argentina, but right now, the priority is getting Yang Yang back on his feet."

"The Chinese Team’s medical staff has rushed onto the field. Everyone looks very concerned."

"We don’t know if Yang Yang can continue, but regardless, the match is about to end. We hope the Chinese players can withstand the pressure and defend this final score."

"Only then will they not have wasted Yang Yang’s effort in this match."

"Yang Yang has done everything he possibly could as a player. He’s given his absolute all. The rest is now up to his teammates on the National Youth Team."

...

...

「The match resumed.」

Yang Yang remained on the sideline for treatment. Both of his legs were cramping, and he was in extreme pain.

The assistant referee on the sideline held up the board for five minutes of stoppage time, clearly a gesture to compensate Argentina.

The Chinese Team began to fall back in a full-scale defense. All ten of their players on the field retreated into their own half.

Argentina tried desperately to break into the Chinese Team’s penalty area, but they couldn’t find an opening.

Messi was on the left, charging forward every time he got the ball. This earned them a corner kick on the left side in the ninety-third minute—a very dangerous set piece.

At that same moment, Yang Yang finally got to his feet on the sideline.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers once more, and the referee took advantage of the dead ball to signal that he could re-enter the pitch.

"Stay calm! Everyone, stay calm!" Yang Yang shouted as he jogged slowly toward his own penalty area.

Amentros stepped up to take the kick for Argentina.

Everyone knew this would be Argentina’s last dangerous attacking opportunity.

If they scored, the match would go to extra time, and given the Chinese Team’s condition, they would have no way of stopping Argentina.

Even their strongest weapon, Yang Yang, had cramps in both legs.

Neither Messi nor Aguero made a run into the box; instead, they lurked outside the area, waiting for an opportunity.

No one knew if Argentina would send the ball directly into the box for a header or pass it to the edge of the area for a long-range shot from a player like Messi, Aguero, or Biglia.

But one thing was certain: Argentina was going all in.

Even their Goalkeeper, Ustari, had run up into the Chinese Team’s box to join the attack for the corner kick—a testament to how determined the Argentina Team was and how strong their desire to win was.

The penalty area was a chaotic mess, forcing the referee to blow his whistle and tell everyone to calm down.

At Taye Heyug’s whistle, Amentros quickly took the corner kick.

The ball cut a high arc, swinging past the wall of players.