Super Wingstorm

It was Saturday again, and over a hundred fans had gathered around the Amsterdam South Suburb Diemen Victoria Center Stadium. They stood outside the low, white iron fence along the sidelines, watching the match on the field.

Today, the home team, Diemen Brad Middle School, was facing Baken Academy from Almere.

There was a considerable gap in skill between the two teams. After losing at home to their crosstown rivals Omni-Bass last week, Baken Academy unleashed a week’s worth of pent-up frustration on Brad Middle School.

From the very first minute, Baken Academy had Brad Middle School pinned down, especially on the right flank.

After a lackluster performance in the previous match, the substitute right-back had been unceremoniously dropped by Head Coach Dick Van Puer. Although Nick had recovered from his injury, he remained on the bench as a precaution. Yang Yang, whose performance in the last match was nothing short of stunning, once again made the starting lineup.

Forged in the fires of a difficult match, Yang Yang had learned a great deal. Combined with a newfound sense of hope, he began training with even greater enthusiasm. His on-field performance was a marked improvement over the week before. Together with the right midfielder ahead of him, he formed the cutting edge of Baken Academy’s right-flank attack, repeatedly tearing through Brad Middle School’s left-side defense.

Less than ten minutes into the match, Yang Yang made a high-speed overlapping run up the right flank. After receiving the ball, he faced the opposing left-back and immediately executed a Pendulum Move. He cleanly faked out the defender, who lost his balance and stumbled to the turf. After driving to the right side of the penalty box, he sent a cross in front of the goal, and Baken Academy’s number nine striker tapped it in from close range.

This goal was the clarion call that kicked off Baken Academy’s offensive onslaught.

After that, Yang Yang became even more active on the right flank. He frequently got the ball, facing defenders one-on-one and breaking through their lines again and again. But his subsequent ball handling was suboptimal, or his crosses were off-target, so he failed to register another assist.

In contrast, Henk Demyer, commanding the midfield, was more productive. Within thirty minutes, he scored a goal and provided an assist, helping Baken Academy lock in a three-nil lead before the first half ended.

Watching his team completely control the match, with the three-goal lead essentially sealing their victory, Head Coach Dick Van Puer let out a huge sigh of relief. The weight of last week’s derby loss finally lifted from his shoulders.

John Reep had made a rare appearance to supervise an away game, but he remained seated on the bench, silently observing the match.

Seeing Dick Van Puer approach, John Reep gave a wry, peculiar smile. "It seems he only knows that one move."

Van Puer knew Reep was talking about Yang Yang and nodded. "It is a bit strange, yes."

A one-trick pony wasn’t unheard of in professional soccer, but a player like Yang Yang—who could only do the Pendulum Move yet had terrible fundamentals—was exceptionally rare. No wonder John Reep found it so peculiar.

After his outstanding performance against Omni-Bass, Yang Yang had successfully captured the coaching staff’s attention. But after a week of observation, they all came to the same conclusion: while his fundamentals had improved noticeably, they were still lacking. He hadn’t yet reached the average skill level of the Almere Youth Team.

At the same time, however, they also determined that Yang Yang improved at an astonishing rate. His fundamentals, his training, and his match performance were all progressing at a speed you could see with your own eyes.

If he made a mistake today, it would be corrected by tomorrow. Though new mistakes constantly appeared, he was always fixing them, and he rarely repeated the same error. This in itself was a sign of incredible progress.

And then there was his Pendulum Move.

Its range of motion wasn’t as wide as Ronaldo’s, but he added feints and footwork adjustments that made it even more deceptive. Defenders, forced to react hastily, were beaten time and again. His success rate in dribbling past opponents was extremely high.

In last week’s match against Omni-Bass, the entire move had been raw and unrefined. Today against Brad Middle School, however, the times he used the Pendulum Move, it was noticeably more fluid and effective.

At this rate of progress, John Reep, a former right winger himself, even began to wonder: if Yang Yang practiced this one move until it was as fluid as flowing water, an extension of his own body, wouldn’t he become a lethal weapon for Almere’s right-flank attack?

More importantly, he could finally confirm that Yang Yang possessed an extraordinary ability to read and anticipate the game. He was also the type of player who came alive during a match—easily fired up and full of passion on the field.

A player like that was what every head coach dreamed of.

It made John Reep wonder how he had never noticed these qualities in the kid before.

Of course, he couldn’t have known about Yang Yang’s strange fortune. He simply chalked it up to his own prejudice, believing he had only ever focused on the boy’s weaknesses and never bothered to look for his strengths. The thought made him feel deeply ashamed.

"This match is just about settled, Dick," John Reep said with a nod.

The half was almost over. Barring any surprises, Baken Academy’s three-goal lead guaranteed them the win.

"Make a change at halftime. Put Nick in. He needs to get reacquainted with the pace of a match."

Nick was a starter for the Almere Youth Team, skilled in both offense and defense. His position at right-back was unassailable.

"Put Nick in?" Dick Van Puer’s brow furrowed. "Yang Yang is performing well. If we sub him out now, wouldn’t that..."

Half an hour in the last match, and over forty minutes in this one. It wasn’t much time, but Dick Van Puer was already growing fond of the Chinese player. The reason was simple: he was a pleasure to coach. He was incredibly diligent on the field and always gave his all.

"I didn’t say sub him out. I mean, move him further up the field. Let him focus purely on the attack."

"Purely on the attack?" Dick Van Puer was stunned for a moment, but then it clicked.

’That’s right,’ he thought. ’In both matches, Yang Yang had played right-back. While his offensive contributions were impressive, he was still burdened with defensive duties. Putting Nick in at right-back and pushing Yang Yang up into the midfield, or even farther forward, would free him up to attack without reservation.’

"I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do," Dick Van Puer chuckled.

John Reep smiled. He was looking forward to it, too.

"Tell the bus driver later. On the way back, we’re taking a detour past the Amsterdam Arena."

"Hm?" Dick Van Puer was baffled.

Normally, the route from Diemen back to Almere was simple: head east, get on the A1 highway, and it’s a straight shot. But the Amsterdam Arena was west of Diemen. Taking a detour would not only make the trip longer but also take them through a bustling commercial district.

That area was the heart of the Southeast New City of Amsterdam.

"It’s time to give them a little motivation," John Reep said with a chuckle.

...

...

’Focus purely on the attack?’

When Yang Yang heard Van Puer’s tactical adjustments and instructions during halftime, he felt a fire ignite within him.

He was especially thrilled when he heard the head coach solemnly instruct Henk Demyer to do his utmost to coordinate with him. A wave of satisfaction washed over him.

He could tell that Van Puer was testing him, trying to see if he had what it took to be the team’s spearhead, the one to break through the opponent’s defense.

’This is my chance to get back to an attacking position!’

After the teams switched sides for the second half, Yang Yang found himself facing Brad Middle School’s left-back. He could clearly see the defender’s face darken.

They had clashed head-on several times in the first half, and he hadn’t gained an inch on Yang Yang. He was deeply wary, even a little fearful, of this Chinese player who, despite looking somewhat flimsy, executed the Pendulum Move with masterful skill.

’Isn’t he a right-back? Why is he suddenly up here? And so far forward?’

’What’s going on?’

Seeing the defender’s despairing expression, Yang Yang just grinned, revealing a full set of white teeth in an innocent-looking chuckle.

"I look forward to your guidance."

He spoke the pleasantries, but on the field, he showed no mercy.

Back in China, Yang Yang had always played attacking positions. He’d played both striker and on the wing, with winger being his natural position.

When he played right-back, he constantly had to worry about defending. But not anymore. With the team’s starting right-back, Nick, holding the line behind him, and with Head Coach Van Puer ordering him to give his all on the attack, what was there to hold back?

He was well aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. He started the half by actively dropping back to receive the ball. The opposing left-back, worried about leaving his flank exposed, was unwilling to press and let Yang Yang retreat.

It was just a school match, after all, and the defending was relatively lax. Yang Yang easily found space between the opposing full-back and winger to receive a pass. He turned and immediately drove forward, advancing at a steady pace toward the left-back and forcing the defensive line to retreat.

As one advanced and the other retreated, Yang Yang steadily closed the distance. Just as he reached his man, he suddenly accelerated into another Pendulum Move. A series of feints left the defender behind, and he drove the ball to the byline before lifting a cross.

The preceding sequence of moves was beautiful, but the final cross was poor. It was a bit too high, and the two strikers in the center couldn’t get to it in time. The ball was ultimately blasted clear by Brad Middle School’s right-back.

Yang Yang was disappointed he couldn’t create a goal. ’I need to find time to practice my crossing,’ he thought.

As a right-footed player on the right wing, crossing was a dangerous weapon to have. Even if he didn’t have the energy to learn a skill like "Beckham’s Cross" just yet, he at least needed to make his basic crossing more reliable.

Even though the final ball was poor, Yang Yang’s brilliant dribbling still earned him a round of applause from the fans on the sidelines.

This wasn’t a professional match, so even the home fans were happy to applaud a good play from an opposing player.

Back in his familiar attacking role and having already psychologically dominated the opposing left-back early in the half, Yang Yang was now unleashed. He became even more active on the right flank, and his ample stamina allowed him to tear up and down the wing relentlessly.

Finally, in the sixty-third minute, he once again broke through on the right flank and sent a pass across the box. The onrushing midfielder, Henk Demyer, met the ball and tapped it in from close range. Four-nil.

With the match’s outcome decided, the Baken Academy players relaxed. Many of them started to play with more freedom, trying out all sorts of flashy moves. Yang Yang, no longer content with just breaking through on the wing, began to frequently cut inside into the penalty box.

Finally, in the eighty-second minute, he used the Pendulum Move again to cut inside and force his way past the left-back. He laid the ball off to the number nine striker at the edge of the box, who, on the same wavelength, immediately played a through ball behind the defensive line.

Yang Yang sprinted on a diagonal run into the penalty area to meet the pass. As the Goalkeeper decisively rushed out to challenge him, he met the ball and gently guided it with the inside of his right foot. The ball slid past the Goalkeeper and rolled into the back of the net.

’A goal?’

’I scored, just like that?’

Yang Yang was completely stunned.

This was the very first goal he had scored since arriving in the Netherlands.