Chapter 301: This is the Finals

At the corner flag on the left side of Moscow Central Army’s half, Yang Yang gently placed the ball down. He stamped down the turf behind it, slowly backed away a few steps, then stood tall, staring straight ahead.

Inside the penalty box, several of Ajax’s taller players and those with exceptional heading ability were already in position.

Moscow Central Army’s defenders, on high alert, clung to the Ajax players, their hands constantly busy with small, harassing movements. This made the penalty area look chaotic.

In the stands of Alvalade Stadium, every fan’s face was tense and grave.

It was the seventh minute of the match. Unsurprisingly, Ajax had controlled the game and possession from the very beginning.

Moscow Central Army had sat back steadily in their own half, letting Ajax come forward to attack while they waited for opportunities to counter.

Because Moscow Central Army was using a three-man defense, their wing defense was relatively weak. This made the two flanks, manned by Pinaar and Maxwell, and Yang Yang and Maicon, even more threatening.

Just seven minutes into the game, Ajax had already earned three corner kick opportunities.

The first two, one from the left and one from the right, were both taken by Sneijder. Without exception, neither of Ajax’s corners managed to create a threat. Moscow Central Army had clearly prepared for their set pieces.

In the seventh minute, when Ajax got their third corner, Sneijder proactively sought a change and handed the set piece opportunity to Yang Yang.

By this season, Yang Yang rarely took corner kicks anymore. This didn’t mean his ability to take them was poor; it was more due to the professional division of labor at the club. The coaching staff believed it was more threatening to have Yang Yang remain near the penalty area.

But any fan familiar with Ajax would know that Yang Yang’s corner kicks frequently led to goals.

Vermaelen was the one who benefited most from Yang Yang’s corner kicks. In fact, the corner kick assists from Yang Yang were a major reason he had been able to secure his spot as a starting center-back this season.

So, when Yang Yang stood in the corner area, the Ajax fans immediately erupted in cheers.

This left Moscow Central Army completely bewildered. From the players on the pitch to the coaching staff on the sidelines, none of them could understand what was happening, but they had a feeling that it was something formidable.

‘Could it be that Yang Yang is actually Ajax’s most threatening corner kick taker?’

‘If so, the defensive strategy Gazayev had prepared before the match might have to change.’

…

Yang Yang could clearly feel the live broadcast camera behind him focused squarely on him.

He heard the cheers and applause from the fans in the stands. It was encouragement, but at the same time, it was pressure.

As Ajax’s number one star, he had to be able to bear this pressure.

He let out a heavy breath, slowly raised his right hand, and pointed his index finger to the sky, as if signaling the number one.

This made everyone, both on and off the pitch, hold their breath.

No one knew what it meant.

Except for a few of the Ajax players.

This was a bit of chemistry they had developed in their daily training sessions.

After the referee’s whistle, Yang Yang took a deep breath and quickly dashed forward, each step of his run-up firm and powerful.

He had practiced this run-up countless times over the past two years; the steps had long since become instinctual.

After planting his left foot to the side of the ball, his body formed a specific angle to it. His right leg, like a bowstring being released, snapped forward and struck the ball.

A muffled, explosive sound echoed on the pitch as the ball shot out with lightning speed.

The arc wasn’t high, but the ball’s speed was incredible.

It was the long-pass style from the Star Skill: [Beckham’s Crossing]!

Inside the penalty box, players from both teams were a chaotic mess. Heitinga, Charisteas, and De Jong all used their positioning and jostling to disrupt and draw the attention of the Moscow Central Army defenders.

But just before Yang Yang took the kick, Vermaelen suddenly dropped back to the penalty spot, then abruptly darted forward, making a run straight for the near post.

By the time the Moscow Central Army defenders realized the danger from Vermaelen, the Belgian center-back had already sprinted to the near post. With a diving header, he drove Yang Yang’s cross into the goal guarded by Akinfeev.

“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!”

“Ajax scores in the seventh minute, taking the lead!”

“One-nil!”

“Vermaelen! Thomas Vermaelen scores the crucial goal!”

“It’s an assist from Yang Yang’s corner kick!”

“The quality of the corner kick was superb. The ball from Yang Yang was aimed almost directly at Vermaelen’s head. After the Belgian center-back headed it, the ball changed direction and slammed into the net. Akinfeev didn’t even have time to react.”

After seeing his header go in, Vermaelen slammed both fists hard onto the turf, leaped up from the ground, and sprinted toward Yang Yang, pulling him into a tight embrace.

The two celebrated wildly on the sideline, shouting at the broadcast cameras and the Ajax fans in the stands.

From behind, the rest of the Ajax players rushed over, swarming around them.

“This goal is absolutely crucial!”

“Anyone who knows football understands that in a crucial final like this, whoever scores first seizes the initiative.”

“For Ajax to score just seven minutes into the game is completely unexpected.”

“But that’s football for you!”

“Yang Yang’s technique on the corner was exquisite. It was a very high-level delivery. And Vermaelen looked to have perfect chemistry with him, faking out the defender to make a quick run to the near post and score with a header.”

“One-nil, Ajax takes the temporary lead!”

…

…

Gazayev grabbed his head, feeling like he wanted to rip his hair out.

He shouted nonstop at his players on the pitch, urging them to calm down.

‘This is the final!’

‘We had made such detailed plans before the match, considering so many different factors, but who could have predicted that Yang Yang would take the corner, or that Vermaelen would have such perfect chemistry with him?’

Before this, Ajax’s corner kicks had always been taken by Sneijder.

When it came to set pieces, Yang Yang was most famous for his penalties. He had taken three, all of them shot straight down the middle.

Many people were anticipating whether his fourth penalty would also be down the middle, but he hadn’t taken one in a long time.

Gazayev had miscalculated, failing to account for Yang Yang and for Ajax’s change-up.

‘Now this is trouble.’

A three-man defense against a winger-focused strategy… corners would be fatal.

‘Giving up three corners and conceding a goal in the first seven minutes… how are we supposed to play now?’

Gazayev immediately walked to the sideline and made an adjustment. He wanted his players to settle down, and he also signaled for Zhirkov and Audiyakh to drop back a bit to help defend the flanks. The first priority was to stabilize their formation.

…

…

Ajax clearly understood Moscow Central Army’s wishful thinking and had no intention of letting their opponents off the hook so easily.

Based on Yang Yang’s observation, Ronald Koeman’s strategy was to press their advantage and end the battle in the first half.

‘This is a very wise choice.’

The main reason was that Ajax’s stamina was indeed inferior to their opponent’s. If the stalemate dragged into the second half, it would be very disadvantageous for Ajax. Therefore, they had to build a sufficient lead in the first half.

If they couldn’t establish a dominant position by the end of the first half, they would have to change their strategy and playstyle in the second, leaving themselves a way out.

‘That’s the benefit of being the stronger team.’

After taking a one-goal lead, Ajax continued to apply pressure by pressing high up in the midfield and attack.

This was especially true of their defense against Daniel Carvalho.

The two defensive midfielders, Galasek and De Jong, were like a wall, completely blocking the path of the Brazilian attacking midfielder—especially Galasek.

In the fourteenth minute, as Daniel Carvalho was trying to dribble past him, the veteran suddenly launched a vicious sliding tackle, taking down the Brazilian midfielder, ball and all.

The referee, Poll, with his sharp eyes, immediately showed a yellow card. The Ajax captain didn’t argue; he just smiled at Poll and backed away.

This was his way of giving Daniel Carvalho a stark warning.

The move looked fierce and potentially injurious, but in reality, no one would get hurt. It was just very intimidating.

And this was also part of a detailed division of labor.

Galasek was relatively calm and rational, but his stamina was also an issue, so he was expected to be substituted in the second half. Having him commit the foul was the most suitable choice.

De Jong, on the other hand, was famously reckless and aggressive. If he had done it, there’s no telling when he might have picked up another yellow card, and that would be a net loss for Ajax.

After being taken down hard by Galasek, Daniel Carvalho did indeed become much more reserved. Every time he saw the menacing expressions on Galasek’s and De Jong’s faces, he was clearly a bit rattled.

With their midfield restricted, they couldn’t get the ball to their forwards, so it was passed around more in the defense and midfield.

Ajax, in turn, increased the intensity of their pressing in the midfield and backfield.

At first, Moscow Central Army was able to cope, but gradually, the disadvantage of their three-center-back system began to show.

This was especially evident the moment the team transitioned from defense to attack. When Zhirkov and Audiyakh pushed forward, the Ajax attacking trident would press the defensive line, and mistakes easily occurred.

In the twenty-eighth minute, Moscow Central Army’s center-back Ignashevich carried the ball forward. Under pressure from Charisteas, he tried to pass to his midfielder, Lasicic. The two were only ten meters apart; it should have been a surefire pass.

But unexpectedly, just as Lasicic was about to control the ball, Sneijder suddenly accelerated from behind and got tangled up with him, causing the ball to roll out to the left flank.

Pinaar chased down the ball and immediately dribbled quickly up the left wing, launching an immediate counter-attack right after winning the ball in the attacking half.

Charisteas also pushed forward at once, and the two quickly created a two-on-three situation in the left half of the pitch.

Pinaar had excellent skill on the ball and was a very agile dribbler. Even while running at high speed, he could still clearly see the situation inside the penalty box.

After dribbling into the penalty area, the South African international quickly sent a square pass behind Charisteas.

Ignashevich was originally positioned between the Greek center-forward and the goal, his purpose being to prevent the Greek striker from having a direct shot. But Pinaar’s pass put him in a very awkward position.

The Greek center-forward, understanding the intent perfectly, used his body to block Ignashevich and didn’t even go for the ball.

And just like that, the ball slid past Charisteas and rolled toward the penalty spot.