Super Wingstorm

Unreliable crossing—this was another major weakness of Yang Yang’s that had been exposed during the amateur tournament.

Both John Reep and the people from Ajax had pointed this out to Yang Yang.

They all believed that if Yang Yang’s crossing ability could just reach a basic, competent level, then with his dribbling and running skills on the wing, Almere’s offensive firepower would skyrocket. Beating Ajax wouldn’t even be out of the question.

The technique of crossing seemed simple, but in reality, it was extremely difficult.

It wasn’t as if Yang Yang hadn’t practiced on his own. He had even tried to imitate the crossing techniques of famous stars, but to little effect. A crucial reason for this was the footwork, the exact point of contact with the ball, and even body posture.

Football skills were often like that: they looked simple, easy to learn but difficult to master. This was especially true when in motion. Kicking a high-quality cross while the ball was moving at high speed was undoubtedly an extremely difficult feat.

But for Yang Yang, this was the most pressing problem he needed to solve.

If he could improve his crossing ability as soon as possible, it would greatly increase his chances of establishing a foothold in the Ajax Youth Team.

Incisive dribbling on the wing combined with reliable crossing—this would become his core strength for the next two or three years.

It was just like Robben at Eindhoven, who had lightning speed and incisive dribbling on the wing. It was said he was also currently working hard on his crossing from the left.

Van der Meede, who had just transferred from Ajax to Inter Milan, also had incisive dribbling on the wing and was likewise working hard on his crossing.

Of course, for these two stars to establish themselves in the Eredivisie and attract the interest of Europe’s top clubs, their crossing had to be reliable at the very least.

In contrast, Yang Yang’s crossing was still highly unreliable.

After analyzing and discussing it with Old Ice, Yang Yang unhesitatingly chose crossing for his second Star Skill.

"Then it’s an easy choice. For crossing from the right wing, he’s the best option."

The moment Old Ice finished speaking, the shadowy figures of the stars surrounding the Super Training field dimmed again. Only the figure of Beckham grew brighter and brighter, finally transforming into a bolt of lightning that shot straight into Yang Yang’s forehead.

In an instant, cross after cross from Beckham’s entire career played out in Yang Yang’s mind, frame by frame, like a video playback. It seemed to last forever, yet it was over in a flash.

When Yang Yang came to his senses, Beckham was already standing on the right side of the field’s attacking half.

"Beckham’s crosses are generally divided into two main types. The first is a long-pass style cross."

The moment Old Ice finished speaking, the shadowy figure of the star on the field took a quick run-up of just two small steps and struck the ball. The ball soared in a high arc before landing precisely in the designated target area with what could only be described as zero margin for error.

This was undoubtedly a cross of the highest quality, the kind Beckham was famous for.

Yang Yang watched Beckham’s form up close. Though he only saw it once, he still picked up on many details.

For example, he noted Beckham’s run-up, how he struck the ball with his instep, and his slightly strange body posture—especially the forty-five-degree angle between his plant foot and the ball, and how wide his arms were spread.

This type of driven cross had no curve, but it was incredibly fast and could even be kept low. It was undoubtedly perfect for crossing from the wing. With a teammate in front of the goal who was good at getting on the end of things, a goal would be scored in no time.

"The second type is a curling cross."

As Old Ice finished speaking, the shadowy figure and the ball on the field reset to their original positions.

Beckham again took a mere two-step run-up before striking the ball. A sharp THWACK echoed as the ball flew from his right foot, spinning fiercely. It initially seemed headed straight for the goal, but then it swerved in a wide arc, swinging away from the net before landing once more with unbelievable precision in the target area.

Such exquisite technique and high-quality crossing filled Yang Yang with admiration.

Having played himself and struggled to practice crossing, he knew just how incredibly difficult it was to deliver a ball of that quality.

From the shadowy figure’s demonstration, Yang Yang once again picked up on some new details.

The run-up and body posture were almost the same, but the footwork and point of contact were different. This time, Beckham used the inside of his foot.

Compared to the driven cross, the curling cross was a bit slower but highly deceptive, clearly intended to confuse the goalkeeper and defenders and cause them to misjudge its path.

"All of Beckham’s crossing techniques generally fall into these two main categories. If you can thoroughly master both and practice them to perfection, then as your crossing ability improves, it will be immensely beneficial when you later practice long passes and free kicks."

In football, skills are often interconnected; many things are related. Crossing, long passes, and free kicks were a perfect example of this.

Yang Yang understood. To be a good winger, long passes that switched the play were also necessary. On the pitch, this was a powerful tool for stretching the opponent’s defensive line. Mastering long-range passes to switch the play meant being able to move the ball from one flank to the other at a moment’s notice, catching the opposition off guard.

As for free kicks, that could be considered a bonus question.

Old Ice then had Yang Yang watch the shadowy figure’s demonstration repeatedly, emphasizing the important aspects of "Beckham’s Crossing," which were mainly divided into two parts: internal and external factors.

Regarding the internal factors, Yang Yang had already observed a great deal: the run-up, the number of steps, the length of each stride, the distance of his plant foot from the ball, the lean of his body, the application of his technique, muscle activation, and so on. There were countless details to be mindful of.

To put it simply, Yang Yang had to discover his own ideal crossing form through constant, hard practice.

Yang Yang wasn’t surprised by this. Just as when he was learning "Ronaldo’s Rush," Old Ice had told him more than once that he had to find a rhythm and footwork that were uniquely his own.

As it turned out, blindly imitating others wasn’t necessarily the best way to find what suited him.

This was true for Ronaldo’s Rush, and it was true for Beckham’s Crossing.

In addition to the internal factors, external factors also required attention.

The situation on the pitch changed in an instant. The ball would never be sitting still, waiting for you to kick it. Neither attacking teammates nor defending opponents would stand motionless waiting for a cross. Therefore, it required excellent vision and anticipation—the ability to observe a teammate’s run and speed ahead of time and deliver the cross to the ideal spot for them to attack it.

Beyond that, an excellent sense of distance was also essential.

Whether for a cross or a long pass, a superb sense of distance was required to instantly judge the range, gauge the right amount of power, and ensure the ball landed precisely in the intended area.

Yang Yang remembered a joke the media and fans used to make about Beckham’s crossing ability: as long as you stood still in front of the goal, Beckham could whip the ball in to bounce off your head and into the net.

This just went to show how incredibly difficult it would be to truly master Beckham’s crossing.

Apart from all the internal and external factors mentioned above, there was one more indispensable element: practice.

Not only did the technique, muscle activation, and body posture require endless training, but even judging distance and gauging power had to be mastered through relentless practice.

The famous author Gladwell proposed the 10,000-hour rule in his book *Outliers*, and it was just as applicable to football.

Of course, the 10,000 hours was just a general guideline. Exceptionally talented players might only need five thousand hours, while less gifted ones would need even more.

Yang Yang didn’t know whether his talent was good or bad, and it didn’t matter to him. The only thing he knew for sure was that, talent or no talent, he had to train.

He now had a single-minded goal: to keep practicing, nonstop, until he was satisfied with the results.

At the same time, Old Ice also adjusted Yang Yang’s training regimen.

For example, in his daytime training against the wall, the twenty-meter drills were replaced with crossing practice. The new requirement was that after the ball rebounded, his first touch had to control it to a precise spot, and he had to immediately follow up with a cross while the ball was still in motion.

The purpose of this was to simulate real match conditions as closely as possible. And this was just the beginning. Next, he would have to practice controlling the ball to different spots to learn how to adapt his cross to various situations.

Inside the Super Training, Old Ice also added a new exercise for Yang Yang: a virtual Beckham to practice crossing with.

Twenty meters was just the starting distance. Once Yang Yang mastered it, the distance would be gradually increased.

As for Yang Yang’s original concern about the lack of power in his right foot, Old Ice didn’t think it was an issue. It believed the main problem with insufficient power lay in how the force was generated. Ultimately, it was because the entire sequence of his crossing motion wasn’t properly linked, preventing him from unleashing his true strength.

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In the days that followed, Yang Yang fell back into the same state he was in before the amateur tournament.

Every night when he went to sleep, he would enter the Super Training to train under Old Ice’s guidance. He mainly focused on the two Star Skills, "Ronaldo’s Rush" and "Beckham’s Crossing," as well as a series of other basic training exercises.

During the day, aside from meals and a short afternoon nap, he was almost always at the skate park, engrossed in his intense training.

Old Ice had structured all the training items very rationally, creating a good balance between work and rest. This ensured that while Yang Yang’s training was sometimes monotonous, it never became overly exhausting. Occasionally, Old Ice would even use the lunch break to adjust the afternoon’s training plan based on Yang Yang’s performance in the morning.

The days passed by, one after another, in a relentless cycle of hard training.

During this time, the Eindhoven scout, Karas Van Balen, visited the Chinese restaurant once. Yang Yang wasn’t there, but his uncle, Shen Ming, tactfully rejected Van Balen’s invitation for Yang Yang to join Eindhoven, stating that Yang Yang had already decided to join Ajax.

Karas Van Balen was deeply disappointed. That same afternoon, Eindhoven’s chief scout, Pete De Vries, personally called the restaurant. He said that Eindhoven was willing to sign Yang Yang to a professional contract directly, offer him a considerable salary, and promised he would make the first team within three years.

Yang Yang wouldn’t turn seventeen until October, meaning in three years, he’d only be nineteen. For Eindhoven to make such a promise was a clear testament to their sincerity. However, Shen Ming still politely declined on Yang Yang’s behalf. He thanked Eindhoven for their high regard, explaining that Yang Yang currently had only one goal: Ajax, and playing under his idol, Van Basten.

He was confident in himself. As long as he continued to work hard and improve, he was certain he could make his debut for the Ajax first team within three years.