Chapter 325 - 318: Dark Horse

When the referee blew the final whistle, everyone on the Chinese Team breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The last few minutes had been a frantic struggle, but thankfully, the entire team gritted their teeth and held on.

The scoreboard at William II Stadium showed the final score of the match, 2-3.

Spain was listed first, the Chinese Team second.

Although the Spanish players had more or less given up in the final minute, they were still incredibly dejected when the whistle blew. Many of them even hung their heads, looking utterly heartbroken.

They had given it their all.

After high-fiving and hugging his surrounding teammates, Yang Yang happened to spot the number sixteen player nearby, David Silva.

The young Spaniard, a full head shorter than Yang Yang, had also had an outstanding FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was a crucial player in Spain’s journey to this point, firmly anchoring their midfield alongside Fàbregas.

Delicate footwork, strong individual skill, and a dangerous passing game—these were all David Silva’s strengths.

Yang Yang had previously faced Valencia in the European Super Cup. He lost that match, but Vicente had approached him to swap jerseys and comfort him—a gesture Yang Yang always remembered. Coincidentally, David Silva was also from Valencia.

However, this player, the same age as Yang Yang, had spent the past season on loan at La Liga 2 side Eibar and had even made headlines in major European newspapers back in May as the league season was concluding.

It was the 35th round of La Liga 2, with Eibar playing away against Lleida. Eibar was fighting for promotion, but with the score tied at one-all, a Lleida player went down injured. At that very moment, David Silva received a pass from a teammate, was onside, and found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but he decisively chose not to take the shot.

In the end, Eibar drew 1-1 away at Lleida. At the end of the season, Eibar finished three points behind third-place Alaves, which led many fans, especially some from Eibar, to dispute David Silva’s decision.

But Yang Yang knew that the reason Eibar failed to secure promotion wasn’t because of the away draw with Lleida, but because they had lost 1-2 at home to their direct promotion rival, Alaves, in the 34th round.

But sometimes, that’s just how fans are; they’re just looking for an outlet for their frustrations.

Yang Yang had never met David Silva before, but after reading that news story, he was filled with admiration for him. Because he was incredibly brave.

And when he asked himself honestly, Yang Yang found it hard to say whether he would have chosen to shoot in that situation.

This was why, upon seeing David Silva’s sorrowful expression, he proactively walked over, took off his jersey, and held it out, greeting him with a smile. "Hi, David. I’m Yang Yang. Can I trade jerseys with you?"

David Silva’s head snapped up. He was startled to see Yang Yang and hadn’t expected him to initiate a jersey swap. He immediately scrambled up from the grass, pulled off his own sweat-soaked jersey, and exchanged it with Yang Yang.

"You played great," Yang Yang said sincerely.

David Silva was very shy and introverted. He nodded repeatedly, clearly a man of few words. "You too."

Yang Yang noticed that Valencia was a team with a tenacious playing style, yet they had quite a few shy and introverted players, like Vicente and now, David Silva right in front of him.

"To be honest, I really, really admire your courage. I hope you can ignore the outside noise and keep working hard. I’m sure you’ll be successful," Yang Yang encouraged him.

His current fame and status in European Football were indeed higher than David Silva’s. And having just won the match, his words of comfort and encouragement didn’t feel out of place at all; instead, they brought a sense of warmth to David Silva.

"Thanks. You too. I hope we have the chance to meet again."

Yang Yang raised an eyebrow. "Then it’s best we meet as teammates. I’d be a little scared to face you as an opponent." He laughed as he finished the sentence.

David Silva also gave a small smile, knowing Yang Yang was just trying to comfort him. "Thank you."

As Yang Yang exchanged a few more pleasantries with David Silva, he noticed the number seventeen player, Fàbregas, also walking over. The young prodigy from Arsenal was clearly also interested in Yang Yang.

Yang Yang was no stranger to Fàbregas. He was a midfield prodigy, even younger than Yang Yang himself, and recognized as a genius all across Europe. He had come up through Barcelona’s La Masia but had since moved to Arsenal, where he was highly valued and nurtured under Wenger.

"You played exceptionally well. We did our best, but we still couldn’t contain you," Fàbregas said frankly.

"I just have good stamina, so I run a lot," Yang Yang replied modestly.

Seeing Fàbregas holding his jersey in hand, Yang Yang ran to the sideline to grab a fresh one, then returned to exchange with him. Finally, he hugged both Fàbregas and David Silva goodbye.

On the way back to the locker room, he ran into Juanfran, his direct opponent in the match, and the two chatted for a bit.

Sometimes, players go head-to-head on the pitch, but off the pitch, there’s a mutual respect between them.

This wasn’t just true for opponents in today’s match; it was even the case for players like Yang Yang and Kuyt.

Yang Yang didn’t blame Kuyt in the slightest, and he believed the feeling was mutual.

And the mere thought of facing Kuyt’s challenge again in the new season filled Yang Yang with fighting spirit and motivation.

The Chinese Team had shockingly defeated the tournament favorite, Spain, with a 3-2 victory, advancing smoothly to the semi-finals.

As soon as the match ended, the news spread like wildfire from the Netherlands to the rest of the world.

Everyone was in disbelief, finding it hard to accept that this dark horse, the Chinese Team, had successively overcome two traditional powerhouses, Germany and Spain, to enter the semi-finals.

Were they going to be the dark horse that went all the way?

Media reporters and fans all over the world were stunned.

Yang Yang had once again amazed the world. This was the young star who had just broken Ronaldo’s legendary, decade-old record in the Eredivisie and won Best Player in the UEFA Cup. At the same time, he had also led the Chinese Team to successfully qualify for the World Cup in Germany from the Asian region.

So far, he had scored six goals in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, tying him for first place on the top scorer’s list with Spain’s Llorente. But Spain had already been eliminated, while the Chinese Team was moving on to the semi-finals.

Beyond his goals, Yang Yang’s assists and passing were also astonishing.

In the match against Spain, Yang Yang repeatedly executed long, cross-field passes, which made life miserable for the Spanish defense. Meanwhile, Chen Tao on the right wing benefited greatly, delivering a very eye-catching performance.

A scout from Anderlecht, specifically sent to observe Chen Tao, stated in an interview with Chinese media that the club was very satisfied with the form and ability Chen Tao had displayed, and that he would be entrusted with a key role in the new season.

Additionally, domestic media frequently reported that scouts from foreign clubs had their eyes on players from the National Youth Team. This naturally got some of the players’ hopes up, but Yang Yang commented that the attention from some freelance scouts was largely meaningless.

Many scouts just get a player’s authorization and then shop them around to clubs everywhere. It’s a bit like a blind squirrel finding a nut.

If they were unlucky enough to meet the wrong person, it could even lead to a ton of unnecessary trouble down the line.

"Keep working hard. As long as we keep advancing, you’ll definitely get opportunities to play abroad," Yang Yang encouraged them.

The Chinese Team’s latest upset, defeating Spain, caused a huge stir both at home and abroad. Fans in China were especially ecstatic. Even the AFC featured a lengthy report on its official website about the National Youth Team’s heroic feat, suggesting they were fully capable of reaching the final and even winning the championship.

Argentina was widely considered the strongest team in this FIFA U-20 World Cup, brimming with talent. They had also reached the final four, where they would face the African team, Nigeria. The Chinese Team, on the other hand, would face the Brazil Team in the semi-finals.

As for the host nation, the Netherlands, they had unfortunately lost to Nigeria on penalties in the quarter-final knockout stage, missing out on the semi-finals.

Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, and China—the final four of this FIFA U-20 World Cup was a surprising lineup, especially with the inclusion of China.

No one in the world had expected that this perennially weak team, so soft they were completely disregarded, could storm into the final four. Judging by their current momentum, they even looked poised to devour Brazil and charge into the finals.

In fact, during an official FIFA interview, National Youth Team head coach Klauen stated, "We do have the strength to make it to the finals, but the Brazil Team won’t be an easy opponent. We’ll need to give it our all."

In an interview with National Television, Yang Yang also said, "We’re not thinking too far ahead. We’re just treating every match like a final. As the tournament has progressed, our fitness has really started to show. Klauen’s training methods have been very effective. I think he should continue with this team, and we should even try to use his connections to bring in the entire German youth training system."

Finally, Yang Yang also stated that he wouldn’t get distracted and would just focus on playing football.

"By reaching the semi-finals, we’ve already made history. But we aren’t satisfied, because every step we take from now on is also making history. That gives me and my teammates unprecedented motivation and courage."

When the news reached China, media reporters and fans alike gave the highest praise to Yang Yang, Klauen, and the entire National Youth Team. Both their technical and tactical level of play, as well as the players’ morale and spirit, left a deep impression.

In its commentary on the National Youth Team, FIFA even opined that the Asian team was playing with the tactical level and rhythm of European Teams. This was considered a rare achievement and a sign of the National Youth Team’s progress.

On the evening of the same day they played Spain, the team returned from Tilburg to Utrecht.

The upcoming semi-finals and final would both be held in Utrecht.

The Chinese Team checked back into the Mitland Hotel, where they had stayed before.

And just as the team finished checking in and Yang Yang had returned to his room to put his things away, his phone rang.