Good God, how did this happen?
John Rep, standing by the sideline, was completely stunned.
Dick Van Pool beside him and the surrounding fans were even more dumbfounded, staring at the field in disbelief.
After calmly slotting the ball into the net when facing the goalkeeper alone, the kid in the number-nine shirt stood rooted to the spot for a moment. But he quickly charged toward the sideline, shouting loudly the entire way.
As a former professional player, John Rep could completely imagine the excitement and exhilaration surging through Yang Yang at that very moment.
Although this was only an amateur league, it was still like a dream to Yang Yang—simply unbelievable.
Two months ago, this kid had been at the bottom of the team, condemned by everyone and nearly driven out of Almere. But now, two months later, he had become a sharp weapon on Almere's flank. He had just dribbled past three opposing defenders in succession and scored.
Three to two. Almere had taken the lead again.
Yang Yang also sprinted off the field, running quickly past the fans behind the metal railings. With his arms spread wide, he flew around the perimeter of the pitch.
John Rep could clearly see the smile on his face from close up. Under the nighttime lights, it seemed to sparkle.
This was a gem whose brilliance could not be concealed!
Suddenly, John Rep even felt that Almere might not be able to keep him.
Just look at his performance in this match. Getting past fourth-tier regular Marvin Doring had been as easy as child's play, without the slightest effort. And he was only sixteen. Given his current rate of progress, Almere would soon be unable to satisfy him.
As long as he continued to maintain this level of form in amateur matches, he would soon come to the attention of Eredivisie clubs.
A teenager who would not turn seventeen until October, yet could perform like this and improve so rapidly, had limitless potential.
Almere's players also rushed off the pitch and brought Yang Yang down by the sideline, piling onto him one after another.
They all knew that Yang Yang had improved enormously and was very capable. He had even ranked first in the semester assessment. But they had never imagined that one day Yang Yang would become their savior and bring them such a tremendous surprise.
Even Henk Dimer was completely convinced by Yang Yang at this moment.
At the very least, he could never have managed a brave move like Yang Yang's just now, or that dazzling dribble past three men.
Many of the home fans by the sideline also gave Yang Yang a warm round of applause.
Although they supported AS80 more, they simply could not withhold their applause in the face of such an outstanding goal.
The AS80 players were utterly disheartened. Kule and the other two players who had been toyed with by Yang Yang were especially humiliated.
They were all older than Yang Yang, and some were even First Team regulars. Yet they had been toyed with by a sixteen-year-old kid. How could they possibly hold their heads up?
Wesley Snoyer was so furious that his entire body trembled. He glared through clenched teeth at Yang Yang, who was pinned beneath his teammates by the sideline, but there was nothing he could do. He simply could not replicate that dribble past three men.
An opposing player's outstanding performance could not only greatly boost the other side's morale; it also dealt a painful blow to his own team's morale and fighting spirit. Yang Yang had scored the crucial go-ahead goal, making everyone at AS80 even more dejected.
If even this defensive setup could not stop that blade, would they have to assign two players to mark him at once?
How were they supposed to play then?
After all, Henk Dimer was still in the middle for Almere.
As the saying went, one side rose as the other fell.
After Yang Yang scored Almere's third goal, AS80 was badly shaken while everyone at Almere was filled with soaring morale. They focused on defense once more and ultimately held on to their three-to-two lead until the final moment.
The moment the final whistle sounded, everyone from Almere rushed toward Yang Yang. Many fans by the sideline also moved the metal railings aside and charged toward the players, celebrating wildly on the pitch.
Even though this was their bitter rival's home ground, and even though the surrounding fans were all hostile supporters, this was the privilege of the victor.
Yang Yang took off his soaked jersey and kept raising his hand to high-five his approaching teammates and fans.
Amid the celebrating crowd, an eight- or nine-year-old boy came up to Yang Yang.
"Big brother, can I take a photo with you and get your autograph?"
Yang Yang froze for a moment. This was the first time anyone had asked him for a signed photo.
The little boy's father stood nearby with a camera. When Yang Yang crouched down and posed affectionately with the boy, the father immediately snapped a picture, capturing the moment.
"My dad said we have to keep this photo safe. It'll definitely sell for a lot of money someday," the little boy said with an innocent smile.
An immense sense of satisfaction surged through Yang Yang. How could he refuse? He picked up a pen and quickly signed his name on the autograph book, though inwardly he thought that he really ought to find time to practice his signature.
"Thank you, big brother." The little boy took the autograph book and pen and quickly ran back to his father.
"You played wonderfully." The boy's father even came over specially to shake Yang Yang's hand.
Watching the father and son leave, Yang Yang let out a long breath.
This feeling really was pretty nice.
"Come on, cheers!"
In the courtyard outside Shen's Chinese Restaurant, all the Almere players who had participated in the match pushed the tables together into a large circle. Everyone held up a wineglass, though they were all filled with plain water, and cheered in celebration of their victory.
Three to two. They had defeated their local rivals, AS80.
What made them even happier was that after the match, Head Coach John Rep and Dick Van Pool had given the players a very high evaluation, especially for the tenacious defense they had displayed.
John Rep said that the coaching staff would continue to closely monitor the team's performance, and that every player who performed well would receive a chance to join the First Team in the new season. This naturally left all the players delighted and excited.
Although the Head Coach had not singled him out for praise, Yang Yang knew that he did not need it.
All three goals in this match had come from his feet. The final dribble past three men in particular seemed unbelievable even when he looked back on it afterward. He could not imagine doing it again, yet it had truly happened.
Since he had performed outstandingly and had already earned recognition whether or not he was praised, there was no need to quibble with his teammates.
After the match, his teammates felt that Yang Yang should treat them to a meal for his excellent performance. So after everyone showered, they gathered at the Chinese Restaurant owned by Yang Yang's uncle, Shen Ming. They had his uncle prepare several light and tasty dishes, along with a large portion of noodles, then crowded around a table and wolfed everything down.
They were not professional players yet and were still growing, so they did not have too many dietary restrictions. If they entered the First Team, however, they would probably have to exercise some control.
Of course, they could not drink alcohol or soft drinks, so they used plain water in place of alcohol for their toasts.
"We have Yang Yang to thank this time. That final dribble past three men was incredible. What were you thinking at the time?" Henk Dimer asked with great admiration.
It was something he had not even dared to imagine.
Yang Yang carefully recalled what had happened and shook his head. "I didn't think much at the time. I just felt there was an opening, so I figured I'd get past one man at a time. I didn't expect to reach the penalty area either. But maybe they were already badly fatigued, which gave me the chance."
After hearing this, everyone felt that it made sense.
Even in an amateur match, dribbling past three men in succession was no easy feat.
Not to mention that Yang Yang had been facing AS80's strongest defensive lineup.
After listening, everyone congratulated him again, all agreeing that his dribble past three men had been spectacular.
"It's just a shame that this was only an internal Almere match. I paid attention, and there were basically no people from outside, which naturally meant there were no scouts. Otherwise, Yang Yang would definitely have become famous. If a big club took a liking to him, that would be incredible..."
His teammates all sighed regretfully after hearing this.
In their eyes, any professional team in the Eredivisie or Dutch Second Division basically counted as a big club.
Yang Yang took this matter rather casually. He replied indifferently, "There's nothing to be sorry about. As long as we keep working hard, we'll definitely have more chances."
"Exactly." Henk Dimer agreed wholeheartedly. "This time we defeated AS80 and advanced from the first round. As long as we work hard and play every match well, I guarantee that sooner or later, people will notice us."
AS80 had not originally been particularly strong, but this time they had added five First Team players, especially three regular-level players including Wesley Snoyer. That had greatly improved AS80's overall strength.
Almere had managed to defeat such a team. Surely, as long as they played seriously from now on, those ordinary amateur teams would be unable to threaten Almere—especially with Yang Yang wielding such a sharp weapon on the flank.
Before they knew it, everyone had begun treating Yang Yang as the backbone and central figure of the team.
Even Henk Dimer now had to admit that Yang Yang was Almere's core strength.
Yang Yang himself had not thought too much about it. He took part in these matches mainly to hone his skills and train himself. Moreover, he had begun to realize that playing more matches stimulated his improvement even further.
As for defeating opponents, achieving a certain ranking, or attracting anyone's attention, he truly had not considered any of that.
He knew very clearly that as long as he became strong enough, opportunities would come sooner or later.
He also understood himself very well. His performance in dribbling past three men had been a fortuitous coincidence, something that could not be forced. Even if he were given another chance, he might not be able to replicate it. But his weak fundamentals were his greatest bottleneck and weakness.
Improving his fundamentals as quickly as possible and mastering the Star Skill Ronaldo's Rush—those were the most important tasks before him right now. As for everything else, he would not take it to heart.
But he had to admit that being cheered by the fans and relied upon by his teammates gave Yang Yang tremendous satisfaction. Especially when he thought of his awkward situation two months earlier, it made his position clear to him.
He had to improve, improve, and improve some more!