Chapter 17

chapter 17

### Story with Football Slang and Correct Grammar

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In the stands, the home fans erupted into deafening cheers. One fan, puzzled, shouted to his companions: "Who's this number 30 who set up that goal? I've never seen him before!"

His friend was equally perplexed and shouted back: "No idea! Must be a new signing from the winter transfer window."

On the touchline, the reporters were equally mystified. They could see that Caspar Blanche's goal was all thanks to number 30's brilliant assist. But who was he? What country did he come from? How old was he, and when did he join Genk?

As the crowd buzzed with speculation, a journalist from Luxembourg's daily newspaper chimed in: "I recognize him. He played for Virton recently and scored in three straight matches, bagging a hat-trick in the third game. He set a record as the youngest player to score a hat-trick."

The reporter added: "His name is Wang Feng, he's 16, and he's from China."

Other reporters began to recall hearing about him a month ago, and the memory stirred a bit of excitement. One reporter said: "I vaguely remember now. There was a lot of buzz about him then, but nothing since. I thought he was just a flash in the pan. I didn't know he had moved from Virton to Genk."

"Yeah," agreed another. "It seems like he was benched this past month, probably waiting for the transfer window to open. I heard both Anderlecht and Club Brugge were interested in him. Surprised he ended up at Genk."

Meanwhile, on the pitch, Wang Feng was oblivious to the chatter in the stands and on the sidelines. He was just thrilled to make a difference in his debut for Genk. Scoring a goal would be the cherry on top, he thought, making a silent vow to himself.

As play resumed, the match flowed back and forth, but Wang Feng noticed Genk's midfield was gaining confidence, and their central play was getting sharper as they protected their lead.

Nearing the end of the first half, Caspar Blanche found himself unable to break through the defense and passed the ball back. Karl Bass, picking it up, spotted Wang Feng in space on the right and didn't hesitate. He launched a long ball to the right flank. Wang Feng and his marker sprinted towards it, but Wang Feng reached it first, poking the ball ahead and accelerating past the defender.

In a flash, he was at the edge of the penalty area. A defender closed in quickly, but Wang Feng deftly nudged the ball forward, forcing the defender to chase. Wang Feng got there first again, stopped abruptly, causing the defender to overshoot. As the defender turned to recover, Wang Feng burst past him effortlessly, with only a slight tug on his shirt.

Inside the box now, Wang Feng took a powerful shot with the instep of his right foot. The ball swerved through the air and headed for the top right corner of the goal.

The Gent goalkeeper reacted instinctively, diving and stretching out as far as he could. His fingertips grazed the ball, but it deflected off the post and into the net.

2-0! Just before halftime, Genk had doubled their lead.

Wang Feng dashed to the stands, celebrating wildly with the home fans, who were now in a frenzy. Most didn't know Wang Feng yet, but they were already chanting the name of their new number 30.

On the other side, Gent's players were dejected, their morale plummeting. They couldn't regroup before the referee's whistle ended the first half.

During the break, head coach Aimé Antonis praised the team's performance, highlighting Wang Feng's brilliance. He urged everyone to keep up the effort and start the New Year with a resounding victory.

Gent's players were still reeling, but Genk came out even stronger. In the 53rd minute, Wang Feng received the ball in midfield. He twisted past his marker with a slick roulette and then played a quick one-two with Karl Bass, darting down the wing. Bass whipped in a cross, finding Caspar Blanche, who headed just over.

In the 67th minute, Wang Feng picked up the ball at the edge of the box. After a quick adjustment, he unleashed a thunderous shot that cannoned off the post and out. It was a bold attempt from 25 meters out, showing his confidence now that his team was in control.

Wang Feng's presence continually stretched Gent's defense, stifling their attacking efforts. Growing frustrated and desperate, Gent's players became more aggressive.

In the 73rd minute, Wang Feng was brought down hard from behind by a Gent defender. The referee immediately blew for a foul and brandished a yellow card. Genk's players crowded around, checking on Wang Feng, but he stood up, dusted himself off, and reassured them that he was fine. His improved fitness was evident; a tackle like that might have injured him in the past.

Coach Antonis, alarmed when Wang Feng went down, quickly decided to make a substitution. As soon as the play stopped, he brought on a backup to replace Wang Feng, not wanting to risk his rising star.

As Wang Feng exited, the home crowd erupted in applause, giving him a standing ovation. He raised his hands in appreciation, acknowledging the fans' support.

Without Wang Feng's threat, Gent pushed forward more aggressively, but Genk's defense held firm, thwarting attack after attack. In the 87th minute, Genk capitalized on a counterattack, with midfielder August Amber finishing a clinical move to make it 3-0.

The game was effectively over. Genk had secured the win and a place in the Belgian Cup's top 8.

When the final whistle blew, Genk's bench emptied onto the pitch in celebration. All eyes were on coach Antonis and Wang Feng, the heroes of the match.

Fans stayed long after the game, singing the team anthem to celebrate the victory.

"I'm very pleased with today's game," Antonis said in the locker room. "Both our offense and defense were outstanding. This is a great start to the year. Let's keep it up."

He turned to Wang Feng, saying: "Wang, you were the key to our victory today. I'm sure you'll be named Man of the Match. You've set the bar high with your debut performance for Genk. Keep it up."

The team cheered, but not everyone was thrilled. Bobby April, on the fringes of the squad, saw his chances dwindling with each brilliant display from Wang Feng.