Up and coming

On November 16th, at the José Zorrilla Stadium in Valladolid, the bright red letters on the big screen displayed the names of the two teams and the score: Real Valladolid 1-0 Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, at the bottom right corner, the clock quietly reached 87 minutes and 34 seconds. For fans who just turned on their TVs to watch the game, it was unbelievable that Real Madrid was about to lose to a relegation-threatened team.

How did all of this happen? Just last round, Valladolid suffered a devastating 0-6 loss to Barcelona. How did they suddenly push Real Madrid to this extent?

No one could provide a definitive answer, not even Wang Feng. All he knew was that the entire team had attacked relentlessly for nearly 90 minutes, with a possession rate of up to 79%, yet they still struggled to score.

It seemed like they had learned from their mistakes in the previous round. Valladolid adopted a comprehensive defensive strategy. This was their home ground; they couldn't afford another humiliating defeat.

In the 48th minute, the home team seized the only opportunity of the game and capitalized on a mistake by Real Madrid's defense, breaking the deadlock. This unexpected turn of events delighted them, and they became even more determined to defend. Nearly all eleven players formed a defensive wall around the penalty area.

As the game neared its end, the Galaxy Team (Real Madrid) earned a free-kick opportunity thirty meters from the goal. Wang Feng decided to take it himself.

The Chinese superstar quietly picked up the ball. It wasn't the best chance, but time waits for no one. He had to seize it. In the distance, Valladolid's defensive players were nervously forming a wall. The dawn of victory was right in front of them; how could they give up easily?

The whistle blew. Wang Feng ran up and took the shot directly. The ball soared into the air like a mortar shell, reaching its peak and then suddenly dropping after passing over the wall. With a swift dive, the Valladolid goalkeeper, Arsenjo, was a half-beat too slow to save it.

1-1! The Galaxy Team secured their second draw of the season.

For Real Madrid, the news of Barcelona's 3-0 victory over Almeria only added insult to injury. With 11 consecutive wins and 33 points, Barcelona continued to lead the league standings, while Real Madrid, with 9 wins, 2 draws, and 29 points, remained in second place.

Barcelona also set a new record for the best start in club history. "They are showing signs of champions," said Mundo Deportivo.

On the other hand, Real Madrid, unexpectedly held to a draw, faced widespread criticism. "Schuster's tactics are rigid, relying only on Wang Feng." "A team that lost 0-5 to Barcelona managed only a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid; does this mean Real Madrid would suffer a 1-6 defeat against Barcelona?"

In the face of these comments, the German coach chose to remain silent. However, Wang Feng stepped up to support the head coach. "We have achieved a record of 9 wins and 2 draws without defeat. This is Real Madrid's best start in recent years."

"Mr. Schuster has done well enough. Valladolid employed a different strategy against us compared to Barcelona. They relied on their strong determination to help the team earn points."

As for the gap with Barcelona, the Chinese superstar believed that the performance of their arch-rivals this season was indeed excellent. However, the league is still long, and they still have a chance. "We will fight until the last moment, unless Barcelona wins all 38 games!"

On the day the match ended, Wang Feng flew to Japan, where the national team faced Japan in the fourth round of the Ten-Nation Tournament, challenging the top team in the group.

This was a match squeezed in the middle of the schedule, so many European-based players were not called up. Only Wang Feng rushed back as the spearhead but didn't make it to the starting lineup; he sat on the bench. Japan faced a similar problem, opting to field domestic players.

Once again, the facts proved that Alihan's choice was correct. Relying solely on domestically trained players couldn't stop the opponent; they conceded two goals in the first half.

In the second half, Wang Feng took to the field. In the 52nd minute, he dribbled past two defenders at the edge of the penalty area and suddenly took a shot, catching the opponent off guard and scoring a goal for the team.

In the 78th minute, the Chinese superstar dribbled the ball in the opponent's half, evaded the defense, and shot into the top right corner of the goal.

2-2, the two sides eventually shook hands and drew.

Although they didn't suffer a defeat, head coach Alihan continued to shake his head. He was thoroughly disappointed with domestically trained players. The impatient mentality, coupled with the frenetic atmosphere, simply couldn't produce good players.

"The World Cup still depends on overseas players!" The Dutchman found Wang Feng and asked, "Wang, I know you've sponsored many Chinese kids to participate in youth training in Belgium. Can you give me detailed information? I want to investigate."

Wang Feng looked somewhat surprised. "Of course, Mr. Alihan. But the oldest among those kids is only 17 years old." Alihan joked, "What's wrong with being 17? Weren't you already dominating the Union Cup stage at 17?"

The Chinese superstar scratched his head awkwardly and added, "I think there's a kid named Huang Hu who's quite good. He's already starting to shine in the Genk team." The Dutchman nodded, indicating he would pay special attention.

On a chilly morning in early winter, the temperature in Belgium was less than 10 degrees Celsius, quite cold. The streets were originally deserted, but two running boys broke the silence.

One of them, with black hair, suddenly sneezed. The other, with yellow hair, asked with concern, "Huang, are you catching a cold?"

"No, Kevin, I think I just stayed up too late celebrating last night, so I'm a bit tired," Huang Hu rubbed his nose and said. De Bruyne shook his head helplessly, "You guys went crazy until the early hours, just because you scored a goal in love."

"Come on, this is the first goal of my professional career. Of course, it's worth celebrating. By the way, do you think I can earn a starting position based on my performance in this game?"

"I think it's a bit doubtful. Gorak, our team's forward, still has a stable position." De Bruyne didn't seem optimistic. "You look tired. How about skipping extra training today and resting?"

Huang Hu was somewhat tempted, but after thinking for a moment, he firmly refused, "My idol Wang Feng has never missed a day of training since he came to Belgium. He once said that taking a day off is very easy, but once you set that precedent, there will be many excuses for rest in the future!"

"Don't worry, my body can handle it. I'll just do some simple recovery training today."

De Bruyne could only nod. He and Huang Hu trained and grew together, forging a deep friendship. De Bruyne had already become a regular starter himself, so naturally, he hoped his friend could also work hard to improve and stay in the team.

This season, Genk promoted Huang Hu to the first team as a substitute. In the past 10 league rounds, he only came off the bench in 6 rounds and didn't score any goals, delivering average performances.

However, in the last match against Club Brugge, the Chinese youngster got another chance to play. This time, he capitalized on De Bruyne's assist and scored the only goal, helping Genk win 1-0.

So Huang Hu was exceptionally excited to treat his teammates to a meal afterward. Most of them went back to rest after the meal, but a few players who loved to party continued their revelry.