Su Dong had never played center back, but he had faced plenty of center backs. He had some experience with how a center back should play.
Especially when partnering with Vidić.
The Serbian center back told Su Dong to step up aggressively while he stayed behind to hold the fort.
That undoubtedly released Su Dong from his shackles.
Since it was a friendly, both sides played openly. Ajax also stuck to its traditional tactics, launching a fierce attack right from the start, especially through Icelandic center forward Kolbeinn Sigþórsson, who had just joined from Alkmaar that summer.
During one forward run, Su Dong decisively stepped up and blocked Sigþórsson with his body. Relying on his height and long legs, he got to the ball first and shielded it behind him. Then he leaned back, immediately overpowering Sigþórsson, and passed the ball back.
That clean defensive play won Su Dong a burst of enthusiastic applause.
Vidić also laughed and gave Su Dong a thumbs-up, as if saying, You really do have a talent for playing center back.
After tasting success, Su Dong followed the same formula. Whenever Ajax attacked, he immediately stepped up, using his body to tie up Sigþórsson and repeatedly leaving the Icelandic center forward empty-handed.
Ajax quickly adjusted its tactics as well, having left winger Derck Boerrigter cut inside aggressively in an attempt to exploit the space behind Su Dong.
But when Boerrigter was charging toward the penalty area with the ball, Su Dong chased him down from behind. He was somehow even faster, overtook him in an instant, and slipped between Boerrigter and the ball. He stopped it at his feet first, carried it to the right side of the penalty area, then sent it flying upfield with a powerful clearance.
"Wow, I didn't expect Su Dong