The Dagger

Five days later, evening, Almere Youth Team training ground.

In the second round of the amateur league, Almere welcomed Naarden.

Naarden is a small town in the southeastern suburbs of Amsterdam, located south of Almere, separated by Hooij Lake.

Fueled by their 3-2 away victory against AS80 in the first round, Almere played very aggressively at home, adopting an all-out attack from the start, aiming to crush this less-than-stellar opponent in one go.

It was still Yang Yang, still on the right wing, still using the Pendulum Dribble. This time, it took less than two minutes for Almere to break through Naarden's defense on the right flank. Yang Yang's cross was headed by the number eleven center forward, who had come down from the first team, but it didn't result in a goal. The number seven left winger scored on the rebound.

After scoring the first goal, Almere completely entered attack mode.

Yang Yang moved through the right wing as if no one was there, completely turning Naarden's left flank into a sieve. He initiated attacks time and time again, broke through opponents repeatedly, and helped the team take a 4-0 lead in the first half.

The gap in strength between the two teams was huge, but Almere's morale was sky-high, and they continued their pursuit in the second half.

Finally, after ninety minutes of play, the score was 7-1, with Almere securing a dominant victory at home.

Yang Yang contributed two assists and one goal in this match, with countless successful dribbles. He was once again recognized as the team's best performer and received specific praise from head coach John Rep and Dick Van Pul after the game.

John Rep, a former right winger himself, personally coached Yang Yang on some of the issues he encountered during the game, primarily suggesting that Yang Yang lacked attacking aggression and should drive into the penalty area more often.

Yang Yang felt his shooting ability wasn't strong enough and his first touch wasn't good either. The penalty area was the most densely guarded area, making it easy to expose his weaknesses. He believed it was better for him to operate on the wing for now to leverage his strengths.

Although their opinions differed slightly, they both accepted each other's perspectives. John Rep also shared many insights based on his own experience, offering practical suggestions for Yang Yang's future development.

Yang Yang was very grateful for this.

Yang Yang finally left Almere city.

Weesp is a suburban town adjacent to the new city in southeastern Amsterdam. The Vecht River flows through the town, dividing it into many sections. Surrounded by green water, the scenery was extremely beautiful, leaving Yang Yang greatly impressed.

The town's most famous landmark is a military bunker called Ossenmarkt Fortress on an island in the Vecht River to the east. It is said to have been built 150 years ago and is difficult to attack and easy to defend. It is a popular tourist attraction. Outside the fortress, a yacht marina has been built, allowing tourists to take yachts out on the Vecht River, offering a unique experience.

Weesp has a population of only tens of thousands, but it has a strong sporting culture. To the southeast, there are hockey and rugby fields, while the gymnasium to the north has tennis courts and five standard-sized football fields.

The third round of the amateur league, Almere's away match against Weesp, was held on one of these main pitches.

The match was again held in the evening, attracting the town's residents. Cars filled the parking lot south of the stadium, and enthusiastic fans packed the area around the pitch, with many parents bringing their families to watch.

Having reached the third round of the amateur league, Weesp clearly had some strength. They had also clearly received news of Almere's victories against AS80 and their rout of Naarden. In this match, they adopted a defensive counter-attacking stance, typical of an underdog, and specifically focused on marking Almere's right-wing spearhead, Yang Yang.

Despite being heavily marked by the opponent, Yang Yang remained very active on the right wing.

He had excellent stamina and, with the advantage of [God's Perspective], he always managed to find gaps in the opponent's defense. This had been a headache for professional defenders when playing against AS80, let alone facing these amateur players from Weesp.

Furthermore, with Yang Yang being heavily marked, the center became naturally weaker, and Henk Dimer immediately posed a threat.

When the match reached the thirty-ninth minute, Yang Yang received the ball on the right wing and forcefully broke through the opponent's defense, once again sending the ball to the front post. The number eleven striker slotted it home from close range, and Almere was leading 3-0.

After the break in the second half, Yang Yang grew more courageous as the game progressed. Weesp's players' stamina declined much faster, and they were no longer able to stop Yang Yang. They could only watch helplessly as Yang Yang repeatedly attacked down the right wing and sent the ball into the penalty area.

By the end of the match, the score was 5-0.

Almere once again secured a resounding victory.

Despite being heavily marked, Yang Yang only managed two assists, but he drew the attention of the opponent's main defenders, playing a crucial role in the excellent performances of Henk Dimer in the center and the two strikers. His repeated breakthroughs on the wing also earned him the admiration of the Weesp fans watching.

In the fourth round of the amateur league, Almere hosted Vlaferlants at home.

Vlaferlants was a team from West-Friesland with excellent overall strength. They had also advanced through the first three rounds of the amateur league with outstanding performances, notably defeating a team from Utrecht at home in the third round.

Everyone at Almere was very cautious about this team's visit. After playing Weesp, they rested and recuperated, awaiting Vlaferlants' arrival.

Having won three consecutive rounds, Almere's performance in the amateur league had already shocked the fans. However, the further they progressed, the stronger their opponents became. They might even face teams from Eredivisie clubs like Ajax, Alkmaar, and Feyenoord, which would undoubtedly be a huge challenge for Almere.

But the greater the challenge, the greater the reward.

As the amateur league progressed, more and more fans were attracted. Among them, it was impossible to know if professional team scouts were present. If they performed exceptionally well, they could be scouted by big teams at any time.

Vlaferlants, playing away, had clearly done their homework. Facing Almere's potent attack, they adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy. Their solid defense and tight formations were extremely rare in the amateur league and were the core of their competitiveness that had brought them to the fourth round.

From the start of the match, the two teams were locked in a fierce battle. Almere still focused its attack on the right-wing spearhead Yang Yang, with Henk Dimer in the center responsible for organizing play and making late runs. This attacking pattern had been highly successful in the previous three rounds.

However, this time, it completely failed against Vlaferlants.

The opponent's tight defense made it difficult for Almere's attack to break through. Yang Yang found it hard to receive passes from his teammates on the wing and had to expand his operating range, frequently dropping back to collect the ball. But this made it difficult for him to directly threaten the opponent's defense.

Henk Dimer, positioned in the center, was completely neutralized and contained by the opponent again.

Vlaferlants was stronger in defense than attack, and the two teams were locked in a tough struggle, with neither able to break the deadlock. The first half ended 0-0, the first time Almere had not scored in the first half since the tournament began.

After the break in the second half, Vlaferlants continued to focus entirely on defense.

Yang Yang moved actively on the right wing, pulling the opponent's left-back and left-midfielder back and forth. He had no other choice but to rely on wearing them down to cope with the opponent. His teammates around him were also largely unable to break the deadlock and could only rely on his constant running and stretching to find opportunities.

As time ticked away, both sides were greatly depleted, and neither could gain the upper hand.

It wasn't until the seventy-third minute that Yang Yang once again found space to receive the ball. It was a long pass from the center-back in the backfield. His stamina was significantly depleted, and his technical execution was slightly off. His first touch failed to control the ball properly, and it went out of his control. This greatly surprised him, and he immediately chased after it.

The Vlaferlants left-back behind him was also surprised. Seeing the football flying towards him, he instinctively lunged for it without thinking. It was as if the ball was being passed directly to him.

The two were racing, both charging towards the ball from different directions simultaneously.

Yang Yang gritted his teeth, pushing his speed to the absolute limit. He managed to reach the ball half a step ahead of his opponent and poked it forward.

This touch sent the ball past the sliding tackle of the opponent's left-back. Although Yang Yang was tripped by the defender's body, he stumbled for a couple of steps before quickly regaining his balance and sprinting towards the ball again.

The opponent's center-back had been keeping a close eye on the situation. Seeing Yang Yang poke the ball past his teammate, he immediately moved to press. But as he saw Yang Yang charging towards him at full speed, he was startled – his speed was incredible.

In his hesitation, Yang Yang had already caught up to the ball. He no longer had time to think.

As soon as Yang Yang reached the ball, without any time to spare for further thought, his body reacted almost instinctively, performing a feint to go outside on the right, and then suddenly cutting inside.

Faced with this sudden feint, the opponent's center-back instinctively moved to block, but ended up lunging at empty air. As he tried to regain his momentum and retreat, he lost his balance and slid onto the grass.

With a skillful Pendulum Dribble, Yang Yang had completely bamboozled the opponent's center-back and was quickly cutting diagonally into the penalty box from the inside.

The right center-back of Vlaferlants rushed over to cover, but once Yang Yang was inside the box, he had complete control of the situation. He faked a shot, then cut inside again, and gently passed the ball towards the middle.

The number eleven striker, who had been chasing from behind, wouldn't miss such an opportunity. After controlling the ball, he immediately fired a close-range shot towards the bottom left corner. The Vlaferlants goalkeeper, drawn to the right by Yang Yang, was too far away and could only watch as the ball entered the net.

One-nil!

The entire stadium erupted in a roar of surprise only at this moment.

Yang Yang, who had just carried the ball for over thirty meters, was panting and shaking his head. That sprint had been absolutely killer.

But soon, he was buried under a pile of his teammates who had rushed over.

At a crucial moment, Almere's sharp right-wing knife had once again saved the team.