Chapter Summaries

Liverpool struggled to break through Roma’s early pressure and targeted defense, while Yang Yang searched for a way to exploit the space Roma left behind. He drew De Rossi toward him and passed into the middle, where De Rossi realized he had been lured into a trap.

• Reina rushed out to claim Mancini’s cross but kicked the ball out of bounds, giving Roma possession.
• Spalletti urged Roma to maintain its early assault, while he and Domenichini discussed targeting Liverpool’s strong midfield and restricting Yang Yang.
• Yang Yang dribbled past Wilhelmsson and De Rossi but was surrounded by Roma defenders, and his pass toward Crouch failed.
• Totti hit a long-range shot just wide, then Yang Yang set up Crouch, whose shot was disrupted by Mexès and Chivu and went wide.
• Yang Yang exchanged a glance with Gerrard and signaled Crouch, then accelerated at Wilhelmsson and cut inside to draw De Rossi toward him.
• Yang Yang pushed the ball into the middle, and De Rossi realized Yang Yang had lured him into the trap.

Yang Yang provided four assists as Liverpool overwhelmed Roma 4–0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at Anfield. He remained eager to score, but his finishing stayed off as Roma continued attacking.

• Xabi Alonso scored from outside the penalty area after Yang Yang set him up, giving Liverpool a 1–0 lead.
• Yang Yang chipped the ball behind Chivu for Gerrard to score, making it 2–0.
• Yang Yang crossed from the byline for Crouch to head in Liverpool’s third goal.
• Yang Yang sent a diagonal pass behind Roma’s defense, and Kuyt headed in the fourth goal.
• Liverpool kept attacking, while Yang Yang failed to score and Roma continued to press despite trailing 4–0.

Liverpool took a four-goal lead over Roma into halftime, and the players discussed how Roma’s lack of experience and inability to control the tempo had left them vulnerable. Yang Yang rallied his teammates to help Mascherano score his first professional goal, while Benitez warned Liverpool to stay focused and keep the match fast-paced in the second half.

• Liverpool entered halftime ahead of Roma by four goals after an outstanding first half at Anfield.
• Xabi Alonso, Gerrard, and Yang Yang discussed Roma’s inexperience and their failure to withstand Liverpool’s midfield pressure.
• Yang Yang reminded his teammates that Mascherano had never scored professionally and urged them to help him find a goal in the second half.
• Mascherano agreed to try to score once, while Yang Yang joked that he would also welcome help scoring himself.
• Benitez praised Liverpool’s first-half performance but told the team to attack and defend faster, press higher, and avoid complacency.

Liverpool dominated Roma and extended their lead to six goals, while Yang Yang created chances for his teammates but could not score. Mascherano scored his first professional goal from a Yang Yang assist, leaving Yang with five assists in the match.

• Yang Yang tested Doni with a long-range shot, but the goalkeeper tipped it over the bar.
• Yang Yang broke past Cassetti near the byline and cut the ball back to Mascherano, whose shot went wide.
• Kuyt scored Liverpool's fifth goal after Crouch won a header in the penalty area.
• Benitez replaced Finnan with Arbeloa after Liverpool went five goals ahead.
• Yang Yang sent a pass across the field to Mascherano, who scored from distance for his first professional goal and Liverpool's sixth.

Liverpool overwhelmed Roma 8–0 in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg, with Yang Yang recording five assists and then scoring the goal he had been pursuing. Benitez substituted Yang Yang after his goal, and Liverpool continued attacking until Aurélio added the final score.

• Benitez considered taking Yang Yang off, but Jesper urged him to respect Yang Yang’s desire to score, so Liverpool brought on Pennant for Crouch and adjusted the attack around him.
• In the seventy-sixth minute, Pennant crossed from the right, and Yang Yang scored at the far post after Kuyt and Chivu fell during their challenge.
• Benitez replaced Yang Yang with Riise as the Liverpool crowd gave Yang Yang a standing ovation for his one goal and five assists.
• Liverpool continued attacking while Roma’s morale collapsed, and Aurélio scored late after receiving Kuyt’s layoff.
• Liverpool finished the first leg with an 8–0 victory over Roma.

Newspapers across Europe praised Yang Yang after Liverpool routed Roma 8–0, highlighting his one goal and record five assists. The coverage left Yang Yang celebrated as a world-class star and Liverpool established as a leading Champions League contender.

• The Times declared Yang Yang’s performance perfect and reported that his five assists set a Champions League single-match record.
• The Times argued that Yang Yang’s growing understanding with his teammates made him dangerous even when he did not score.
• Spalletti said Yang Yang’s early impact had overturned Roma’s control of the match, while Italian media criticized Roma’s collapse.
• German media praised Liverpool’s collective play and called Yang Yang’s €40 million transfer a success.
• Spanish and other European media praised Yang Yang, while Real Madrid fans regretted his failed transfer and Barcelona renewed interest in signing him.
• Chinese fans celebrated Yang Yang’s rise and began imagining that he could finish among the top three in the 2007 World Footballer of the Year voting.

Kaka reflected on Yang Yang’s spectacular performance against Roma and resolved to reach the Champions League final to face him. At Barcelona, Messi responded to the same headlines by training intensely and prepared himself to lead the team into El Clásico against Real Madrid.

• Kaka read reports of Yang Yang’s one-goal, five-assist performance and admired how much he had improved.
• Kaka recalled Yang Yang’s past success against AC Milan and vowed to reach the final and meet him there.
• After Barcelona’s defeat at Anfield, Messi asked the club for strength training and a nutritionist, then trained relentlessly for a month.
• Messi grew angry when Catalan media suggested he would assist Yang Yang if Barcelona signed him, and he channeled his frustration into training.
• With El Clásico two days away, Messi told his coach he knew what he had to do and left the gym determined to help Barcelona win.

Su Ye visited Yang Yang in Liverpool, and the two discussed her acting career and his hopes of winning the Champions League. In Barcelona, Messi scored a dramatic late equalizer against Real Madrid and celebrated by thinking of Yang Yang.

• Su Ye reunited with Yang Yang in Britain and teased him about caring more for the peach blossoms than for him.
• Su Ye told Yang Yang about filming The Warlords and considered applying to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for postgraduate study.
• Su Ye said she would travel with Curran to watch Yang Yang’s away matches, and Yang Yang told her he believed Liverpool could win the Champions League.
• Barcelona fell behind Real Madrid twice in El Clásico, and Messi scored two goals to keep the match level.
• After Barcelona went down to ten men and Ramos put Real Madrid ahead, Messi scored a late equalizer and wondered if Yang Yang had seen it.

Yang Yang reflected on Messi’s rise as Liverpool advanced past Roma and reached the Champions League semifinals. With Liverpool drawn against Chelsea and Manchester United facing AC Milan, the story left the four contenders preparing for decisive clashes.

• Yang Yang read about Messi’s hat-trick against Real Madrid and recognized the young Barcelona star as a rival he wanted to challenge.
• Yang Yang recalled Liverpool’s 2–1 away win over Reading, which brought them level with Manchester United on points, though they remained second on goal difference.
• Liverpool drew 1–1 away to Roma, eliminated them 9–1 on aggregate, and advanced to the Champions League semifinals.
• AC Milan defeated Bayern Munich 2–0 away, while Manchester United eliminated Eindhoven and Chelsea beat Valencia 2–1 away to complete the semifinal lineup.
• Liverpool drew Chelsea in the semifinals, and Benitez appeared worried about facing them.

Benitez struggled to plan for Chelsea while Liverpool prepared for the Champions League semifinals, and Yang Yang scored in consecutive Premier League wins. At Camp Nou, Messi dribbled past five Getafe players to score a spectacular goal, then challenged Yang Yang to match him.

• Benitez told Yang Yang he had found a weakness in Chelsea but planned to save his tactic for the second leg, leaving him unsure how Liverpool would approach the first leg.
• Yang Yang and Gerrard scored as Liverpool defeated Middlesbrough 2–0 in the thirty-third round of the Premier League.
• Yang Yang scored the only goal in Liverpool’s 1–0 win over Man City after facing Sun Jihai, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored Manchester United’s winner against Chelsea.
• Messi dribbled past five Getafe players and rounded the goalkeeper to score in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semifinal first leg.
• Messi celebrated his goal and challenged Yang Yang to dribble past five men himself.

Liverpool beat Wigan Athletic 2–0 as Yang Yang prepared for the Champions League semifinal against Chelsea, while the media continued comparing him unfavorably with Messi. The team arrived in London for the semifinal, but something unexpected happened on the night before the match.

• Liverpool's players discussed Messi's dribble past five players and the Catalan media's claims that Yang Yang could not match him, and Yang Yang agreed to try a similar feat if the right opportunity came.
• Yang Yang came on against Wigan Athletic in the sixtieth minute and assisted Kuyt's second goal before winning a free kick with a dribble.
• Liverpool defeated Wigan Athletic 2–0, and Sport mocked Yang Yang after he was fouled while the British media defended him.
• Yang Yang set his sights on winning the Champions League to strengthen his bid for a top-three finish in World Footballer of the Year.
• Liverpool travelled to London and checked into their hotel before the semifinal against Chelsea, but an unexpected incident occurred that night.

Liverpool prepared to face Chelsea in the Champions League semifinal at Stamford Bridge, but captain Steven Gerrard developed a painful mouth abscess overnight. Benitez still chose to start him, and the teams arrived at the stadium ready for the match.

• Benitez paired Yang Yang and Aurélio so they could study Chelsea together, while Yang Yang trained against Chelsea’s defense in the Super Training Ground.
• Yang Yang found Gerrard with swollen, painful lips the morning of the match, and Mark Waller explained that Gerrard had visited a dentist overnight after the swelling worsened.
• Gerrard insisted he could play despite the pain, and Benitez decided to include him in the starting lineup.
• After a nap, Gerrard’s swelling went down, and he joked with his teammates about having been right to expect he could play.
• Liverpool and Chelsea arrived at Stamford Bridge ahead of their Champions League semifinal, with both sides expected to rely on discipline and avoid mistakes.

Chelsea took a 1–0 lead over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal when Joe Cole finished Drogba’s counterattack, and Mourinho’s defense stifled Liverpool for most of the match. In the closing minutes, Benitez made attacking adjustments, and Liverpool focused on winning the second ball from Peter Crouch as they searched for an equalizer.

• Carvalho launched Chelsea’s counterattack, Drogba crossed from the right, and Joe Cole scored in the thirtieth minute.
• Liverpool pushed forward after conceding, but Chelsea’s defense contained their attacks and the first half ended 1–0.
• At halftime, Benitez praised Liverpool’s performance and urged the team to maintain its level, while Gerrard rallied his teammates to keep fighting.
• Benitez brought on Pennant for Kuyt, then introduced Mohamed Sissoko for Xabi Alonso as Liverpool sought to increase pressure late in the match.
• Mourinho brought on Kalou for Shevchenko and Wright-Phillips for Joe Cole, keeping Chelsea set to defend and counterattack.
• With Sissoko forming a double defensive midfield with Mascherano, Aurélio and Gerrard pushed forward, while Yang Yang moved inside to contest the second ball from Crouch.

Yang Yang seized Liverpool’s lone clear chance to equalize against Chelsea in the eighty-sixth minute, leaving the tie poised for the second leg. Mourinho was left to regret that the striker he had pursued was scoring for Liverpool instead.

• Arbeloa crossed to Crouch, whose header back toward Gerrard was intercepted by Mikel.
• Gerrard poked the ball away from Mikel, and Yang Yang reacted first to collect it near Chelsea’s penalty area.
• Yang Yang carried the ball to the right and fired a bouncing shot past Čech to make the score one-one in the eighty-sixth minute.
• Yang Yang celebrated with Liverpool’s supporters and teammates as Benitez and his staff celebrated from the bench.
• Mourinho rued Yang Yang’s decisive goal and his failure to bring the striker to Chelsea, while Boas tried to calm him.

Liverpool drew 1–1 away to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinal first leg, then Yang Yang came off the bench to help Liverpool rally from two goals down and beat Portsmouth 3–2. The chapter ended with European media comparing Yang Yang and his fellow young stars, while Catalan outlets continued to defend Messi and criticize Yang Yang.

• Mourinho and Benitez traded accusations after Liverpool drew with Chelsea, and the managers and media argued over which team would reach the Champions League final.
• Manchester United beat AC Milan 3–2 at Old Trafford as Cristiano Ronaldo scored once and Kaka and Rooney each completed a brace.
• European media focused on Yang Yang, Rooney, Little Ronaldo, and Messi, while Catalan and British outlets exchanged barbs over their abilities.
• Benitez rotated Liverpool against Portsmouth, and Liverpool fell two goals behind after Dudek made an error and Portsmouth scored again on a counterattack.
• Hyypiä scored from a corner, then Yang Yang came on and scored before assisting Gerrard's winner in Liverpool's 3–2 comeback victory.
• Redknapp praised Yang Yang's impact, while Catalan media claimed Yang Yang had unsuccessfully tried to dribble past five players and noted Messi's quiet performance against Levante.

Liverpool prepared for the Champions League semifinal second leg against Chelsea, while Benitez kept his tactical plan hidden until the team reached the dressing room. He revealed that Chelsea’s weakness on set pieces was at the near post and assigned Liverpool to exploit it.

• Liverpool’s players discussed celebrating at the St. Thomas Hotel if they beat Chelsea and reached the final.
• Yang Yang and Xabi Alonso shared a room, where Yang Yang studied Chelsea and they wondered about Benitez’s limited shooting practice.
• Yang Yang trained as usual on match day before Liverpool traveled to Anfield, where supporters cheered the team.
• Benitez gathered the players before kickoff and revealed that Liverpool had deliberately directed recent set pieces away from Chelsea’s near post to conceal its defensive weakness.
• Benitez instructed one Liverpool player to break from the crowd and attack Chelsea’s near post on corners and attacking free kicks.

Yang Yang scored Liverpool’s opening goal with a rehearsed free-kick routine against Chelsea, putting Liverpool ahead 1–0 and 2–1 on aggregate. He celebrated with Benitez and Jesper, then dedicated the goal to Su Ye as the match continued.

• Joe Cole fouled Yang Yang in the twenty-second minute, earning a yellow card and giving Liverpool a dangerous free kick.
• Benitez’s pre-match plan called for Aurélio to nudge the ball sideways so Yang Yang could attack the edge of the penalty area.
• As Yang Yang ran left, Lampard recognized the danger and slid toward him, while Mikel followed Gerrard toward the far post.
• Yang Yang changed his plan and struck the ball with his left foot; it cleared Lampard, bounced, and beat Petr Čech to give Liverpool the lead.
• Yang Yang celebrated with Benitez, Jesper, and his teammates, then kissed his wristband and pointed toward Su Ye in the stands.

Liverpool defeated Chelsea 1–0 at Anfield to win their Champions League semifinal 2–1 on aggregate, with Yang Yang scoring in both legs. The team celebrated their place in the Athens final against AC Milan, and Yang Yang later returned home with Su Ye.

• Liverpool’s supporters roared and sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as the team held Chelsea to a 1–0 win, completing a 2–1 aggregate victory.
• John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and José Mourinho congratulated Yang Yang after the match, while Robben appeared subdued.
• Liverpool advanced to the Champions League final against AC Milan, who had eliminated Manchester United 3–0 in the other semifinal.
• Gerrard led the Liverpool players to celebrate at St. Thomas Bar, where the festivities continued until four in the morning.
• Yang Yang called a taxi and took Su Ye home, and the two began celebrating privately after avoiding alcohol at the bar.

After Liverpool reached the Champions League Final, Yang Yang celebrated with his teammates, spent time with Su Ye, and began preparing for the match in Athens. The team chose a potential training-camp site in southern Spain and started arranging travel and accommodation for the Final.

• Yang Yang woke late, returned Gerrard’s call, and learned that Gerrard had ridden home on a milk-delivery cart after the celebration.
• Yang Yang and Su Ye discussed inviting her family to Europe and making a guest list for Champions League Final tickets.
• Yang Yang took Su Ye sightseeing around Liverpool before heading to Melwood for recovery training.
• The players learned that Gerrard’s milk-cart ride had become a dressing-room joke after Carragher witnessed it, leaving Gerrard mortified.
• Benitez asked the players to recommend training-camp locations, and Jesper proposed La Manga in southern Spain for the club to inspect.
• Liverpool began arranging inspections and accommodations in Athens for the team, staff, families, and guests ahead of the Final.

Liverpool defeated Fulham 2–1, then Yang Yang won the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, the fans’ Player of the Year award, and the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award. He completed England’s top-division individual-award Grand Slam, while Liverpool celebrated his other honors and looked ahead to the Champions League Final.

• Manchester United beat Manchester City 1–0 to all but secure the Premier League title, while Liverpool rotated its lineup for the match against Fulham.
• After Fulham took the lead, Yang Yang and Gerrard came on as substitutes and scored to give Liverpool a 2–1 comeback victory.
• Yang Yang attended the Professional Footballers’ Association awards with Gerrard and won both Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, as well as a place in the Team of the Year.
• The Premier League announced that Yang Yang had won the fans’ Player of the Year award, and the Football Writers’ Association then named him its Player of the Year, completing his individual-award Grand Slam.
• Liverpool held a team dinner and named Yang Yang its club and players’ Season’s Best Player; Benitez praised him, and the club looked toward the Champions League Final.