Chapter 300 - 293: Ending the Battle in the First Half

By the time Ajax boarded their flight to Lisbon, Moscow Central Army had already arrived and checked into their pre-booked hotel. The deep-pocketed Russians had booked out the entire establishment.

The hotel wasn’t just for the team; it also housed two thousand special fans personally invited by Moscow Central Army.

Among those two thousand was the owner of Chelsea, Abramovich.

Everyone in European Football knew that the Chelsea owner had deep ties to Moscow Central Army.

After the team settled into the hotel, Head Coach Gazayev immediately called a team meeting.

The fifty-one-year-old Gazayev was a renowned head coach in Russia. He had previously managed teams like Moscow Dynamo and Sparta for extended periods before taking the helm of the Russian Youth Team. For a time, he even held dual roles, coaching both Moscow Central Army and the Russian National Team, before dedicating himself solely to Central Army in July 2004.

Now, one year later, he had led Central Army to the UEFA Cup final.

This was a momentous occasion for Russian football. Everyone, from President Putin down to the average Russian fan, was eagerly awaiting the outcome.

But this time, Central Army’s opponent was the reigning Champions League winner, Ajax!

Although Ajax’s strength had been greatly diminished after selling five star players, a weakened giant is still a giant. Ajax remained a European powerhouse, and Central Army could not afford to underestimate them under any circumstances.

Gazayev was taking this match extremely seriously. The team had arrived in Portugal for an early training camp to better acclimate to the local environment and climate, allowing them to rest and wait for an exhausted Ajax to arrive.

"Our biggest advantage in this match is our stamina."

Gazayev analyzed the situation for both teams in front of his players.

"As the reigning Champions League winners, Ajax’s performance in the Eredivisie this season hasn’t been particularly stellar. It was only yesterday that they managed a comeback against Eindhoven to claim the top spot on the league table. So, they’re coming to Lisbon right after a grueling battle."

The Central Army players nodded in unison, all of them clearly grasping their coach’s point.

Facing a UEFA Cup final just three days after a grueling match, having traveled over two thousand kilometers, and dealing with the climate change from the Netherlands to Portugal... it was easy to imagine that Ajax’s opponent in the final wouldn’t just be Central Army.

"The first forty-five minutes will be crucial. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Ajax will press the attack. They will spend those first forty-five minutes trying everything they can to breach our goal."

Since they were at a stamina disadvantage, they had to try and win the game while they still had the energy. In other words, Ajax had no other choice but to come out attacking right from the start.

As the team’s head coach, Gazayev knew full well that Moscow Central Army’s overall strength was still a notch below Ajax’s. If they tried to go toe-to-toe with them, they would almost certainly lose.

"Our mission in the first half is to defend. We must lock down our defense and give Ajax absolutely no opportunity to score. Then, the second half will be our chance."

Once the game entered the second half, Central Army would have the stamina advantage. With their energy depleted, Ajax would be at their mercy. But that was just the ideal scenario.

"There’s one person you all must watch out for."

As Gazayev spoke, a player’s photo immediately appeared on the large screen behind him.

"His name is Yang Yang."

In the meeting room, the Moscow Central Army players all nodded. Every single one of them knew who he was.

"You should all be familiar with him. Not long ago, he broke one of Ronaldo’s legendary records. Yesterday, he scored a brace in the Eredivisie, closing the goal-scoring gap between him and Kuyt. He’s in excellent form lately, and he only seems to get stronger the more he plays."

For players in the Russian Super League, Yang Yang was already a superstar whose name was known far and wide.

In last season’s Champions League final, his last-minute, game-winning goal had won the Champions League title for Ajax.

Afterward, he led the Chinese Team to victory over Japan in the Asian Cup, securing China’s first-ever title in the tournament’s history. He also became the youngest player ever to be named the Asian Cup’s Most Valuable Player.

As a neighboring country to China, the Russians had heard his name long ago.

This season, the race for the Eredivisie’s top scorer between Yang Yang and Kuyt had long since spread beyond the Netherlands, capturing the attention of European Football. This was especially true after Yang Yang broke Ronaldo’s record, drawing the focus of mainstream European media.

Everyone was incredibly curious: just how far could this Chinese player, who was the same age as Ronaldo had been, go this season?

Gazayev was clearly very wary of Yang Yang. He rapped his knuckles on the podium for emphasis. "Remember, he is Ajax’s most dangerous player and their most lethal finisher. Don’t give him any chances. Don’t even dream that he’ll make a mistake."

In the meeting room, the Central Army players looked as though they were facing a formidable enemy, not daring to let their guard down for a second.

A player who could compete for top scorer in the Netherlands and break Ronaldo’s record at just eighteen years old—how could he possibly be ordinary?

"On paper, Yang Yang is a right winger, but in practice, his positioning is becoming more and more unpredictable. He’ll show up in any area where he poses a threat or can create one—the right flank, the center, the left flank. In short, he is extremely dangerous."

"No matter where he shows up, I want our defenders to shut him down immediately. Don’t let him receive the ball, don’t let him take a shot, and don’t give him a single inch of space."

Both in prior training sessions and in today’s tactical meeting, Gazayev had repeatedly warned his players about the danger Yang Yang posed, hoping to impress upon them the seriousness of the threat.

Of course, with the big match just around the corner, Gazayev didn’t want to build up the opponent too much at the expense of his own team’s morale.

He then told his players, "This isn’t the lopsided final you might be picturing. Ajax sold off five of their key players; they’re nowhere near as formidable as they were when they won the Champions League last year. And we are not lambs to the slaughter. This is a battle of equals."

"Our fans back home are waiting for us to bring them news that we’ve won the cup!"

......

......

For Europe’s giant clubs, the UEFA Cup was often seen as something of a consolation prize.

But for teams from leagues like the Portuguese Super League, the Eredivisie, or the Russian Super League, the UEFA Cup was still a very appealing trophy.

The UEFA Cup final showdown between Ajax and Moscow Central Army attracted intense interest from fans in both the Netherlands and Russia.

Alvalade Stadium could hold over fifty-two thousand fans, but tickets for the final had sold out long in advance.

The event garnered immense attention within Portugal as well. Not only would the Portuguese president, prime minister, and a host of other political dignitaries be attending in person, but even Russian President Putin had dispatched a special envoy to Lisbon, and the Dutch Government was also following the event with great interest.

To ensure the final’s security, Portugal deployed six hundred police officers and three hundred private security personnel just to maintain order on-site.

The deep-pocketed Moscow Central Army went even further on the day of the final, chartering five planes to fly more than two thousand Russian VIP fans to Lisbon Airport. Among them, of course, was Chelsea owner Abramovich.

The gathering of so many prominent figures from politics and business undoubtedly elevated the prestige of the final.

Because Yang Yang was representing Ajax, the final garnered immense attention back in China. Not only was the match broadcast live, but a special media delegation was also sent to Lisbon to provide on-site coverage of the decisive battle that had the entire country watching.

After the UEFA Cup was over, they would follow Ajax back to Amsterdam to continue their coverage of the weekend’s Eredivisie match, all to satisfy the demands of the eagerly anticipating fans back home.

This was no longer just about Yang Yang; it was about the entirety of Chinese Football.

......

......

Moscow Central Army, dressed in red jerseys and black shorts, lined up in a traditional 3-5-2 formation.

The goalkeeper was Akinfeev. The backline featured the Berezutsky Brothers as the left and right center-backs—the two were identical twins who both played the same position—with Ignashevich commanding the defense from the middle.

The midfield consisted of Zhirkov, Lasicic, Aldonin, and Audiyakh, with the Brazilian attacking midfielder, Daniel Carvalho, playing in a more advanced role.

The two strikers up front were the Brazilian Wagner Love and the Croatian Olic.

Ajax also fielded their strongest possible lineup for this match.

Veteran Hans van der Vorm started in goal. The defensive line was composed of Maxwell, Vermaelen, Heitinga, and Maicon. The midfield featured a double pivot with Galasek and De Jong, while Sneijder played in a more advanced role. Pinaar, Charisteas, and Yang Yang formed the attacking trident up front.

This was the strongest lineup Ajax could currently field.

The fact that Ronald Koeman still opted for a double pivot made it clear he was quite wary of Moscow Central Army’s counter-attacking prowess, especially that of their Brazilian attacking midfielder, Daniel Carvalho. Before the match, he had repeatedly warned his players to watch out for him.

Pairing Galasek and De Jong as the two defensive midfielders was likely a move intended to contain Daniel Carvalho.

Moscow Central Army’s three-back formation was at a slight disadvantage against Ajax’s 4-3-3, which utilized wingers. This was particularly true for their defense on the flanks. It remained to be seen how Moscow Central Army would adjust during the game.

The referee for the match was Graham Poll from England, a man with a wealth of officiating experience. In the players’ tunnel before kickoff, he made it clear to both teams that he wanted a fluid match and hoped the players would enjoy the game.

Maxwell and Maicon were quite familiar with Daniel Carvalho and Wagner Love. The four Brazilians stood in their respective team lines, chatting away nonstop. No one else present could understand what they were saying.

Yang Yang had learned a little Portuguese from Maxwell and Maicon, so he could vaguely guess they were probably talking about matters back home in Brazil.

Yang Yang had little interest in such things.

He stood silently at the back of the Ajax line, slowly centering his emotions and getting himself into game mode.

’Ronald Koeman said we have to end this fight in the first half!’