Chapter 202 195: A Flood Dragon Enters the Sea

"The head referee has blown the whistle to stop the match."

"That was Yang Yang making an active run to find space on the right. As he crossed it into the box, forward Hao Dong and an opposing defender collided while going up for a header. Hao Dong is bleeding from his head."

"Hao Dong has been heavily marked by the opposition today. The injury looks quite serious. The referee is signaling for him to go to the sidelines for immediate treatment, as the rules of the game require any bleeding to be dealt with right away."

"It's uncertain whether this will affect Hao Dong's ability to continue playing."

"We can see the Chinese Team's medical staff providing emergency treatment, but the situation doesn't look good. Arie Haan and his assistant coach, Dejan, are in an urgent discussion. It seems Hao Dong will be unable to continue the match."

"In the forty-ninth minute of the second half, the Chinese Team is being forced to make an early substitution."

...

...

"Bring on Li Ming and push Yang Yang up to the frontline," Arie Haan said, his face grim.

The Chinese members of the coaching staff nearby were a bit surprised. "His form hasn't been great this game. You want to play him as a forward?"

"It's not that his form is bad; he's just being tightly marked. Moving him to the frontline will free him from their restrictions and disrupt their defensive setup," Arie Haan insisted.

"I don't see it that way. This is a gamble. He's only seventeen."

"But he's scored in a Champions League final," Arie Haan replied resolutely.

Everyone around them fell silent. It was an indisputable fact. Forget China—in all of Asia, or even the entire World, what seventeen-year-old player had ever scored in a Champions League final?

That was a major event comparable to a World Cup final. Just participating was an incredible achievement, let alone scoring a goal.

But Yang Yang had done it. Although he only came on as a substitute, he did indeed score, and it was a last-minute winner.

"I still think it's a bit risky," Dejan said.

Arie Haan nodded. "His form is fine. I can see it. He's got all this pent-up energy. I've played the game, I know. All he needs is one chance. As long as Iran's defense gives him even a sliver of an opening, he'll make them pay dearly."

As he finished speaking, Arie Haan's expression was one of absolute conviction.

He himself had been a very successful player. During his time in the Netherlands, he had received information about Yang Yang from close friends like John Reep and Luther Carroll. In everyone's assessment of Yang Yang, one precious quality was always mentioned.

His never-say-die attitude!

As a former legendary star, Arie Haan knew very well how important that was.

"Put Li Ming on, move Yang Yang to forward," Arie Haan repeated.

Dejan thought for a moment, then turned and walked toward the substitutes' bench.

The Chinese members of the coaching staff looked helpless. They were more inclined to believe this was just the typical stubbornness of an arrogant and conceited Dutchman, coupled with the sense of superiority that came from Dutch football.

Because Yang Yang came from the Netherlands, from Ajax.

...

...

"The Chinese Team is making a substitution. Veteran Li Ming is coming on for the injured Hao Dong."

"Li Ming should be going to the right wing, so does this mean Arie Haan is pushing Yang Yang up to the frontline?"

"We see Li Ming talking with Yang Yang now. It looks like that's the case."

"And there it is. Yang Yang has been moved to the frontline. He'll form a two-striker partnership with Li Jinyu."

"It remains to be seen if Yang Yang can continue his previous excellent performance."

"I'm sure that right now, it's not just me, but all the fans here in the stadium and everyone watching on TV across the country who are full of anticipation for him. Can this young star surprise us once again?"

...

...

"The pressure on him right now is immense."

In the stands of Beijing Workers' Stadium, Wei Zhen shook his head nervously.

He didn't need to say it; everyone could feel the tension. Yang Yang was replacing the veteran Hao Dong.

While it was a show of trust from head coach Arie Haan, it also placed enormous pressure on him.

Many young players have crumbled precisely because they couldn't handle the pressure.

Yang Yongqiang and Su Wenhong unknowingly clenched their fists, while Shen Lifang periodically closed her eyes, praying for some divine assistance.

Su Ye's face was ashen as she watched the field, her jaw tight. In her eyes, it was as if Yang Yang was the only person on the pitch.

Unlike the sixty thousand fans in Beijing Workers' Stadium, they were the player's family. Every move on the field tugged at their heartstrings.

"Don't worry. Yang Yang is tough. He can always handle it when it counts. He always says that getting through the tough times is a form of progress," Wei Zheng said forcefully.

His words seemed meant to reassure others, but he was also trying to reassure himself, which gave them a hollow, unconvincing feel.

...

...

The coaches on the sidelines were tense. His family in the stands was tense. But Yang Yang, out on the field, was surprisingly not.

Or rather, he wasn't as tense or under as much pressure as they imagined.

After being pushed to the frontline, Yang Yang didn't feel like he had escaped. The defensive pressure in the center was just as intense, if not more so, than on the wing. In fact, with him moving to the middle, the Iran Team's defenders had grown more nervous.

Yang Yang wasn't in a hurry to make an immediate impact. He continued as before, actively making runs into open space, pressing the opposing defenders, and occasionally dropping back deep to support his teammates.

After the second half began, the Iran Team gradually turned the tide of the match.

They had equalized before halftime, boosting their morale. On top of that, they were inherently stronger than the Chinese Team, allowing them to slowly gain an advantage. But the Chinese Team was no pushover; they didn't retreat into an all-out defense.

The two sides continued to trade blows, with the play going back and forth.

The match clock ticked away, but neither head coach seemed eager to make another substitution.

From the first half until now, the two teams had been evenly matched. Neither had shown the ability to definitively overcome the other, and both sides had employed effective, targeted tactics, preventing either from gaining a clear upper hand.

If neither side made an unforced error, and no player produced a sudden moment of on-field brilliance, the game was highly likely to go into extra time.

In the four previous quarter-final knockout matches, two had gone to extra time and then to a penalty shootout.

And just three hours before this match, the Japan Team had drawn 3-3 with the Bahrain Team in regular time. The game was dragged into extra time, where the Japan Team ultimately secured a last-minute victory over Bahrain, thanks to a goal from Takada Keisuke, becoming the first to advance to the final.

Judging by the current situation on the field, with neither side able to create any solid chances, the China-Iran War was also likely headed for extra time.

Moreover, Iran was gradually gaining the upper hand. Why would Ivanovic choose to make a substitution at this moment?

As for the Chinese Team, they had already used one of their substitution slots, so they naturally wouldn't make another change.

Just then, the Iran Team suddenly created a deadly opportunity.

Khalimi, relying on his individual skill, forced his way through on a dribble and suddenly passed the ball to Khabib on the wing. Khabib took it at high speed and abruptly unleashed a powerful shot. The ball deflected off a Chinese Team player and went straight out over the end line. A corner kick for the Iran Team.

The Chinese Team's penalty area was instantly thrown into a state of panic.

All of the Iran Team's tall players rushed into the box, and the Chinese Team's players all scrambled back to defend.

Yang Yang, with his speed advantage, stayed up front, while Li Jinyu fell back to the edge of the penalty area.

The entire stadium of fans was on edge, terrified of conceding another goal through a moment of carelessness.

The Iran Team quickly took the corner. The ball, spinning fiercely, curved through the air before dropping into the box. Center-back Li Weifeng read its trajectory, got to the spot, and headed it clear.

But an Iran Team player got another chance just outside the box and took a direct shot, drawing a collective gasp from the entire crowd.

But the shot hit Zhao Junzhe, who had rushed out to block it. Zheng Zhi was first to the rebound and kicked the ball out to the right wing.

Li Ming, who was initially unmarked, had just received the ball when he saw an Iran Team player closing in, pressuring him step by step to buy time for the other defenders to get back.

Li Ming was anxious, eager to launch a quick counter-attack, but no one was moving up to support him.

Just as he was struggling to find a passing lane, he suddenly saw a figure ahead of him waving and yelling, "Here!"

Without a second thought, Li Ming turned to shield the ball from the Iranian defender and quickly kicked it forward along the right sideline with his right foot.

Yang Yang cut diagonally from the center to the right wing. Just as the ball crossed the halfway line and was about to go out of bounds, he poked it forward, then chased after it at top speed, cutting diagonally toward the penalty area.

In that moment, he finally felt that familiar, liberating sensation, like a flood dragon returning to the sea.

This was what he had always enjoyed the most, what he loved the most.

Through his God's Vision, he could clearly see the movements of every single person on the field. Through his feet, he could feel the slightest change in the ball, as if it were glued to him, allowing him to control it at will.

He knew exactly what he had to do. At the same time, he could anticipate how his opponents would try to defend against him.

The feeling brought on by this explosive state of form gave him an urge to take control of the entire game.

An Iran Team defender gave chase with all his might, finally catching up to Yang Yang near the edge of the penalty area. But the moment he caught up, Yang Yang suddenly slowed down, knocked the ball back behind the defender, and cut inside from his path down the line.

This caught the Iranian defenders completely off guard. It was impossible even to commit a foul. They could only watch helplessly as Yang Yang dribbled diagonally toward the box.

The Iran Team's center-back had tracked back very quickly and was already in position inside the penalty area. The moment he saw Yang Yang shake off the fullback and cut toward the box, he immediately moved to intercept.

But just as he was about to use his body to block Yang Yang's path and force him toward the byline, he suddenly saw Yang Yang's entire body feint to the left. He reacted instinctively, trying to block Yang Yang's lateral cut inside.

But the moment he made his move, he instantly regretted it.

'He remembered the pre-match report from the coaching staff, which had specifically highlighted one of Yang Yang's signature skills.'

'The Pendulum Move!'

'Dammit, this Chinese guy's specialty is the Pendulum Move!'

Sure enough, the figure before him blurred. Yang Yang switched from his feigned cut inside to a move down the byline, easily shaking him off.

In that moment, only the Goalkeeper stood before Yang Yang.

Although he had juked past one of Iran's center-backs, his angle on the goal had become very narrow. The Goalkeeper was positioned perfectly, tight against the right post, having cut off nearly all of Yang Yang's shooting angles. Meanwhile, Iran's other center-back and a retreating midfielder were rapidly closing in to cover.

There was only one chance for Yang Yang to get a shot off.

'What should I do?'