Chapter 200 193: An Also-ran?

In the morning, inside the gym of the National Team's hotel, Yang Yang was running quickly on a treadmill.

Before he knew it, he was panting and drenched in sweat, yet he still felt incredibly energized.

At the Beijing Workers' Stadium last night, the Chinese Team had claimed a decisive three-to-zero victory over Iraq, and Yang Yang's performance throughout the match had been outstanding.

Just two minutes into the game, he had scored by making a diagonal run into the penalty area. Afterward, the right flank, where he was positioned, remained the Chinese Team's most dangerous zone. Iraq was forced to bolster its left-flank defense in an effort to neutralize Yang Yang's relentless attacks.

Even so, in the forty-first minute, Yang Yang seized another opportunity. He once again dribbled from the right half-space, cut diagonally into the penalty area, and drew a foul from a defender. The referee didn't hesitate to award a penalty.

Zheng Zhi calmly converted the penalty, extending the lead to two-nil.

Having scored one goal and created another, Yang Yang once again became the man of the hour.

In the sixtieth minute of the second half, head coach Arie Haan substituted Yang Yang off again. The reason was simple: he wanted Yang Yang to preserve his current competitive form.

In the end, the Chinese Team defeated Iraq three-nil. Zheng Zhi, who had converted two penalties, was named Man of the Match.

Narrowly missing the Man of the Match award again, Yang Yang couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It got to the point where Zheng Zhi, after returning to his room last night, smilingly offered to treat Yang Yang to a lavish dinner as compensation.

After going to bed early, Yang Yang also woke up early.

The hotel wasn't far from the Beijing Workers' Stadium, but there were no good places to run nearby. He had previously requested permission from the National Team manager to run in a nearby park, but he only went once. For one, it was too crowded, and for another, the facilities were poor, so he hadn't gone out to run since.

Yang Yang had no issue with his new routine of training in the hotel gym every morning.

...

Lately, Yang Yang felt he was in peak form, so much so that even he could hardly believe it.

Take the match against Iraq, for example. Every touch he made felt exceptionally sharp, as if the ball were glued to his feet. It wasn't just his first touch; he could even clearly anticipate how his next few moves would affect the ball and change the situation on the field.

The Iraqi players were restrained at first, but as they struggled to contain him, their tackles became rougher. Yang Yang, however, was highly focused, carefully evading and dodging, never letting their fouls connect.

For the foul that won the penalty in the box, he had pulled back slightly, so he only ended up being tripped.

Last night, in the Super Training space, Old Ice had reviewed the match against Iraq with Yang Yang. He also analyzed the reasons for his recent outstanding form: a month of scientific training, a regulated diet, and a disciplined daily routine.

The strict diet and disciplined routine kept Yang Yang's young body in excellent condition. Meanwhile, the scientific training continuously unlocked his physical potential, making him increasingly hungry for official matches. This hunger, in turn, made Yang Yang feel incredibly amped up every time he stepped onto the pitch.

But this was only a temporary phenomenon.

Yang Yang had to start learning how to manage his own condition, adjust his body, and maintain peak competitive form over the long term. Extreme highs and lows were never a good thing for a player.

Of course, Yang Yang was only seventeen and still had much to learn. Moreover, there was no one on the National Team who could help him with this. He would have to wait until he returned to Ajax to slowly seek guidance from the club's coaches and experts.

After working up a sweat in the gym, Yang Yang took a shower and spent a little while in the sauna before leaving, feeling completely refreshed.

...

...

"Dad, Mom, Cousin, Second Brother."

Yang Yang had just finished breakfast when a hotel staff member informed him that he had visitors in the lobby downstairs.

He knew at once it had to be his parents.

He had learned from a phone call before yesterday's match that his parents had come to Beijing.

Accompanying them this morning were Wei Zhen, as well as Su Wenhong, Ye Ziqing, and Su Ye.

When they saw him, everyone was beaming from ear to ear.

Yang Yang's performance was getting better and better, and his domestic popularity was soaring, allowing them all to share in his glory and feel proud.

Although the National Team had been in a bit of a slump for the past few years, they were still representing China. And their performance in the current Asian Cup had been genuinely good, especially with overseas-based players like Yang Yang and Shao Jiayi playing crucial roles.

"Public opinion back home is intense right now. Your popularity is frighteningly high. It's gone viral, both online and in the traditional media," Wei Zhen said, sounding a bit incredulous himself.

Yang Yang's meteoric rise was unexpected, yet it also made perfect sense.

From helping Ajax win the Champions League to winning the Toulon Cup and now playing in the Asian Cup, his journey had been simply too spectacular. He was so dazzlingly brilliant that he was impossible to ignore.

It wasn't just the fans in China; under the constant barrage of media coverage from newspapers and television, even people who didn't follow football were talking about him.

Of course, this was also partly because the Asian Cup was in full, heated swing.

"Did you know? The moment you blew up, our little sister here did too," Su Wenhong said with a chuckle.

Sitting beside him, Su Ye flushed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "Dad, I told you not to bring that up."

The group broke into laughter, while Yang Yang, on the other hand, was completely baffled.

"What happened?"

"Last night after you scored, the camera cut to the stands. They were originally trying to get a shot of your parents, but Su Ye was sitting right next to your mother. She was mistaken for your sister and got on camera, and then she instantly went viral online," Wei Zhen explained with a laugh.

Yang Yang finally understood. He nodded and smiled, "Well, it's not really a misunderstanding. She is my little sister. I'll have to ask you, Big Brother and Second Brother, to look after her in the future."

He finished with a mock-serious cupping of his fists, which sent the group into another round of laughter and made Su Ye blush even more.

During his month in Beijing, Yang Yang had been well looked after by Su Wenhong's family. Given that and his close relationship with the Wei Zhen brothers, it was perfectly natural for him to call Su Ye his sister. Su Wenhong and Ye Ziqing were delighted and even started discussing the age difference with Yang Yang's parents.

They hadn't realized it until they discussed it, but Yang Yang was exactly four months older than Su Ye.

This made Yang Yang happy. Growing up, he only had an older sister, Shen Yuzhu, and had always wanted a younger brother or sister.

"By the way, Dad, how long are you planning to stay this time?" Yang Yang asked.

"We'll be staying for a while. We'll head back after the Asian Cup at the very least," said Yang Yongqiang.

With Yang Yang playing for the National Team, he had drawn significant attention from provincial and municipal leaders. This, combined with his current domestic popularity, brought collateral benefits to Yang Yongqiang's company.

"The main reason we came this time was to discuss sponsoring a marathon next year. We also need to negotiate a partnership for sports research and analysis with a well-known local university, so we'll probably be here for a bit," Wei Zheng explained.

"After the Asian Cup is over, when you head back to the Netherlands, Yuzhu and I will go with you."

Yang Yang's brow furrowed. "You're going to the Netherlands?"

"Don't worry," said Yang Yongqiang. "They're going to the Netherlands mainly to set up our footwear and apparel design center in Europe."

Yang Yang was relieved to hear that.

They then chatted about Yang Yang's time with the National Team, encouraging him to keep up his form and strive to bring glory to the nation.

"You know, in the entire history of Chinese Football, we've never won the Asian Cup. This year is the first time China is hosting it. If you can win the championship, you'll be a hero in everyone's eyes," Wei Zhen said with great sincerity.

Yang Yongqiang, Wei Zheng, and Su Wenhong all agreed that as long as Yang Yang maintained his current form, the National Team had a real fighting chance. Judging from the group stage, the South Korea Team wasn't in good shape, and Bang Fulei's coaching was also running into trouble.

In the knockout stage, South Korea and Iran were set for a do-or-die clash, meaning one of them was guaranteed to be eliminated.

The traditional powerhouse, Saudi Arabia, had been unexpectedly knocked out in the group stage, leaving Iran and Japan as the remaining major threats.

In other words, there would certainly be challenges, but there was also hope.

Yang Yang listened and nodded repeatedly, a deep hunger gleaming in his eyes.

'No player ever says no to goals and championships.'

...

...

Before the Chinese Team defeated Iraq three-nil, Uzbekistan had drawn two-two with Bahrain but ultimately lost the penalty shootout four to three, failing to advance.

The day after the Chinese Team's match, Japan came back from a goal down to tie the game one-one. In the end, they held their nerve in the penalty shootout, defeating Jordan four to three and advancing to the next round.

In the final quarter-final match, the South Korea Team clashed with Iran in a hard-fought battle where neither side gave an inch.

Ten minutes in, Khalimi opened the scoring. Six minutes later, Seol Ki-hyeon of the South Korea Team equalized.

But at the twenty-minute mark, Khalimi scored again to put the Iran Team back in the lead. Five minutes later, Li Dongguo tied the score once more.

After the break, Park Ji-sung scored an own goal, followed by an equalizer from Jin Nanyi. But it was Khalimi's goal in the seventy-seventh minute that ultimately sealed the victory for the Iran Team.

In the end, Iran eliminated South Korea four to three, thanks to a hat-trick from Khalimi and an own goal from Park Ji-sung.

South Korea's elimination was a relief to Chinese fans, but Iran was not to be underestimated. In recent years, the Chinese Team had lost far more than they had won against Iran, putting them at a clear disadvantage.

The most humiliating memory for Chinese fans was the infamous qualifying match in Jinzhou, where the Chinese Team, despite taking a two-goal lead, was crushed when the Iran Team scored four unanswered goals, resulting in a disgraceful loss.

Now, China and Iran were set to meet again, this time in the Asian Cup semi-finals, and the atmosphere was already electric with tension.

The coach of the now-eliminated South Korea Team, Bang Fulei, expressed his disappointment in a media interview. He also stated that he believed it would be very difficult for the Chinese Team to defeat Iran.

"We've played against Iran; they are a stronger team than China. They have many distinctive players, whereas the Chinese Team has almost none. So, without a doubt, this will be an incredibly difficult match for the Chinese Team. Iran is the clear favorite to reach the final."

The Chinese media and fans widely dismissed the South Korean coach's comments as a way for him to save face, especially since Iran had been the one to knock his team out.

However, in a poll on the official Asian Cup website, over eighty percent of fans believed that Iran would be the one to advance to the final.

And the Chinese Team?

They were destined to be nothing more than tragic also-rans!