Chapter 1 Zhang Jun

Zhang Jun stood in the players' tunnel, surrounded by the Eindhoven players. He felt that he had a real connection with Eindhoven, meeting them three times in one season. The first time, they drew, and he scored his first goal in professional league play. The second time was this Dutch Cup semi-final. The third time would be in the league two rounds later, when they would host Eindhoven at home.

Half a year ago, he and Yang Pan caught the opponent off guard as surprise players. Half a year later, they were already solid members of the team's starting lineup, while the opponent's lineup had also undergone significant changes. Only Lee Young-pyo remained of the two Koreans; Park Ji-sung had become a substitute because his position had too much competition and his personal form was poor. This couldn't help but make Zhang Jun sigh at the impermanence of the world.

In addition, Eindhoven had also added a young player who had been making a splash since the winter break, the eighteen-year-old Dutch left midfielder Robben. With excellent technique, agile movements, and accurate passing, he was already being hailed as one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Netherlands. Van der Meyde, Van der Vaart, plus Robben, it seemed that Dutch midfield stars had experienced an explosion, with three world-class midfielders emerging at once.

Zhang Jun had only trained with the team for three days after recovering from his injury, so Adriaanse's decision to put him on the field was a double-edged sword, a considerable risk. But what made him willing to take such a big risk?

Ever since the team unexpectedly eliminated Breda and entered the final four, Adriaanse had been considering a question for two weeks. In the current situation, should they abandon the cup and focus on playing well in the last two months of the league, striving to achieve good results to ensure survival? Or should they strive for every cup game at the cost of potential relegation worries, to bring the team its only possible trophy this season, and to qualify for next season's UEFA Cup?

This wasn't exactly a choice of sacrificing a pawn to save the king. But seeing Zhang Jun appear in the starting lineup, one should know Adriaanse's choice, right?

Just as he had said to Lies before, life is a gamble, and who can guarantee that they will always be invincible? But without high risk, there will be no high reward.

Eindhoven's Philips Stadium, this was Zhang Jun's third visit to this place. The first time, he had a brief trial here, and as a result, he was spotted by the current coach and embarked on his own professional football career. The second time he played here, scoring his first goal and starting his road to fame. This was the third time, could the Philips Stadium continue to be Zhang Jun's lucky place?

Regarding this match, the media generally believed that Eindhoven would win against Volendam without any suspense. Because Volendam, after a series of tough battles, had not only slipped down two places in the standings, but also suffered constant injuries. In this game, Adriaanse could only send out most of the main players, and several other main players were unable to play, while Hviid had to play with an injury. The defense was almost completely changed. Veterans Batterij and Refrain, and captain Holverda were all unable to play, so Luwienke, the next captain, naturally wore the captain's armband. When he put on the captain's armband, Zhang Jun saw that his hands were trembling with excitement, and he put on the armband repeatedly three times before finally getting it on.

Of course, this game was not without its highlights. In fact, the contest between Yang Pan and Robben in midfield, because their positions were directly opposite, would be very interesting, as both were young midfield wingers. But the most attractive thing was universally recognized to be the contest between Zhang Jun and Kezman, a duel between killers, one was fourth on the league's top scorer list, and the other was first. This duel between the two would be as eye-catching as a gladiator fight in the ancient Roman Colosseum.

Kezman continued to maintain his top position on the Eredivisie top scorer list, but he could already feel the threat from the pursuers behind him, especially Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun showed amazing form and scoring efficiency in his first professional season. When he scored his first goal against Eindhoven, no one would have thought that his appearance would change almost the entire Eredivisie landscape.

Kezman also paid special attention to this Chinese striker who was as tall as him. The last time they played against each other, they each scored a goal, but he wasted a lot of opportunities, while Zhang Jun seized an opportunity and achieved what he is now. In terms of the ability to seize opportunities, he seemed to be inferior to him... He wondered what kind of sparks they would ignite in this game. When reporters mentioned Zhang Jun in pre-match interviews, he showed an attitude of mutual appreciation: "No, of course I hope Eindhoven wins. But he (Zhang Jun) is a very good striker, as long as he is on the field, he will cause a lot of trouble to the opponent's defense. He has just recovered from his injury, which may be the only thing we can take advantage of. Goals? Hehe, I can definitely score goals, but as for him, it's hard to say... But, I hope he never scores!" Kezman smiled, it was obvious that he was full of confidence, but also a little worried about Zhang Jun's scoring ability.

Eindhoven fans breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, Zhang Jun's powerful shot in the penalty area was bravely saved by goalkeeper Waterreus, whose agile reactions and excellent positioning allowed him to unbelievably save Zhang Jun's powerful shot. He was indeed the best goalkeeper in the Dutch league.

However, Volendam seemed to use this shot to announce to its master that they were not here to "learn." Since they had already entered the semi-finals, there was no reason to give up easily. Only five minutes into the game, the visiting team Volendam won a corner kick.

"Zhang Jun is in good form today!" said the commentator responsible for broadcasting this cup game, "You can't tell at all that he has just recovered from a leg injury."

"Hopefully he can cause trouble for Eindhoven," the guest commentator added, "It would be a big upset if they beat Eindhoven!"

The corner kick was taken, and the ball was headed out of bounds by Eindhoven centre-back Hofland. The throw-in was thrown out again, and Bajaes' shot was too straight and was easily caught by Waterreus.

Robben broke through Koning on the left wing, who was substituting for the injured Holverda, but the ball was intercepted by Yang Pan who followed up. Yang Pan won their first confrontation. After getting the ball, Yang Pan gently pushed the ball forward. Vogel thought he was going to break through with speed again, so he quickly moved back two steps. But Yang Pan passed the ball diagonally to the left with a big foot. Hviid quickly inserted and unloaded the ball beautifully. Volendam counterattacked!

Zhang Jun naturally ran towards the opponent's penalty area, preparing to respond to the shot. Hofland, having learned a lesson from their first encounter, stuck to him like a shadow and dared not underestimate this Chinese man again.

Ooijer began to press Hviid. But Hviid passed the ball before he could press up. Kojevic, who had inserted, received the ball, made a slight adjustment, and passed the ball to the right wing. Lee Young-pyo did not dare to be negligent and desperately chased back, because Yang Pan had already quickly inserted from his side. His speed was enough to make Eindhoven's entire defense tremble.

Yang Pan still got to the ball before Lee Young-pyo. He passed the ball into the penalty area first, and the football rolled quickly into the penalty area along the grass.

Zhang Jun exerted his strength and rushed diagonally forward. Yang Pan's breakthrough distracted Hofland, and by the time he reacted, Zhang Jun was already half a body ahead of him. Helpless, he could only reach out and pull Zhang Jun's clothes, but he was also smart, pulling quickly and immediately letting go.

But for Zhang Jun, who was about to shoot, this pull caused him to deviate from his target. He fell to the ground and shoveled a shot! He poked the football in front of the goalkeeper, but the ball hit the post and then bounced back into the arms of the frightened goalkeeper.

Within twenty minutes, Zhang Jun had made Eindhoven fans' hearts jump into their throats twice, but this was also Volendam's best opportunity in the entire first half. For the rest of the time, Eindhoven showed the true colors of a strong team, surrounding the visiting team's goal and bombarding it.

It was also time for Kezman to go berserk. He completed three shots in five minutes. If Luwienke hadn't saved the goal twice, Volendam would have already been behind.

The fans at the Philips Stadium began to shout Kezman's name in unison, hoping that their top scorer could bring victory to the team. Kezman lived up to expectations and scored the leading goal near the end of the first half.

Robben faced Yang Pan, and he chose to go one-on-one. He was naturally no match in terms of speed, but in terms of footwork, he was confident that he would not lose to Yang Pan. After a brilliant feint, he immediately accelerated in a change of direction. Yang Pan turned to chase, but slipped and fell to the ground, watching helplessly as Robben easily passed Koning, who was four years older than him, and then crossed!

This time Luwienke was no longer able to stop Kezman. The opponent made a powerful volley from five meters away, and the football flew into the goal past Westerveld!

Leading 1:0! Eindhoven took the lead at home against Volendam! Kezman's goal! The Philips Stadium was boiling!

"goooooooooooAL!! Kezman!!"

"He really fulfilled his pre-match promise and scored a goal! I wonder if he can help the team win?"

Kezman took off his jersey and waved it in his hand. This goal was very easy for him, and he didn't need to run wildly to celebrate.

When Kezman scored, Zhang Jun was ten meters behind him and clearly saw Kezman insert from behind Luwienke, then raise his left foot and volley, his calf swinging powerfully. The ball was very fast, and Westerveld simply wouldn't have reacted. He deserved to be the top scorer in the Eredivisie.

Zhang Jun clenched his fists. He always liked to find a goal to surpass for himself, otherwise, he didn't know if he could play game after game. In this game, he also found a goal -- the twenty-three-year-old Yugoslavian international, Kezman, the best shooter in the Eredivisie, was his goal.

During the half-time break, Adriaanse felt the pressure. He made some minor adjustments, reducing one defender and adding one defensive midfielder, changing the formation to 451. This move aimed to strengthen the midfield defense, and at the same time, the two defensive midfielders could also free Kojevic to use his accurate passing skills during quick counterattacks.

The second half began, and Hiddink did not make any personnel adjustments. He was happy with the players' performance in the first half. After all, it was no longer appropriate to describe the current Volendam simply as a dark horse.

But unexpectedly, Yang Pan received Kojevic's long pass in a counterattack and ran wildly with the ball. Lee Young-pyo accidentally sprained his right foot in the speed contest with him and was completely left behind by Yang Pan.

Kojevic's long pass, Yang Pan, Hviid, and Zhang Jun relying on speed to counterattack had become Volendam's most common offensive means. Zhang Jun and Hviid immediately ran to attract the attention of the Eindhoven defenders, creating the time and space needed for Yang Pan to shoot.

This trick was very effective. It often made the defenders lose sight of the other, causing hesitation in the ever-changing offensive and defensive transitions, and falling into a passive situation. Yang Pan ran wildly all the way, and shot from about twenty meters away from the goal. At this time, the closest defender to him was still five meters away.

Yang Pan let out a low roar, and the football flew out of his feet like a cannonball, bringing up a cloud of grass clippings.

Goalkeeper Waterreus pounced almost at the same time as Yang Pan shot, hitting the ball with both fists, wanting to knock the football out. But the football brushed against his fingertips and still hit the bottom edge of the crossbar and bounced into the goal!

Only five minutes into the second half, Volendam equalized the score! This was really beyond everyone's expectations! Yang Pan once again proved his terrifying right-foot power to the people.

"Yang--Pan! Beautiful goal! Volendam equalizes the score!"

"The computer is calculating the speed of this shot just now... The result is out! God! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! One hundred and twenty-three kilometers per hour! A world-class goal!" The two commentators were roaring in the studio like crazy.

Yang Pan, who scored the goal, stood on the spot and roared at the Eindhoven stands: What's the big deal about home court! Letting you lose at home is what I want to see most!

A double-edged goal. Subsequently, the injured Lee Young-pyo was replaced, and Hiddink had to replace him with Bouma, the left-back who was still suffering from a cold. Bouma had a cold before the game, but Hiddink only put him on the bench for the sake of the league title race, but he didn't expect that he would really come in handy. This was also a helpless move. The league title race was becoming increasingly fierce, and even the slightest mistake could lead to complete defeat. Hiddink was really unwilling to do it, but he was also unwilling to give up the cup.

Bouma's speed could effectively contain Yang Pan's attack, but under the threat of Yang Pan, he was also unable to attack forward, and the game subsequently fell into a stalemate.

Zhang Jun kicked the ball out of bounds with a big foot. Now he was almost a defensive midfielder. He had not had a single shot in more than ten minutes. Was he still a centre forward? The team was very passive, and he himself was also passive. His injury had just healed, and his form was not yet at 100%. He almost disappeared in the game. Defense was also not his strength, but because of the needs of the situation on the field, he had to retreat to the front of the penalty area to defend. But obviously, he was very struggling in the face of the successive bombardments of Van Bommel and Kezman.

Robben, seeing that he couldn't gain much advantage on the left wing, began to move closer to the centre. Obviously, he also regarded Zhang Jun, who had a weaker defense, as a good breakthrough point.

Robben changed direction from the wing to the centre, shaking off Yang Pan's interference, and then passed diagonally into the penalty area. Zhang Jun was on the passing route. Robben's ball was of poor quality, and Zhang Jun only needed to kick it out to resolve the crisis.

Zhang Jun raised his right foot and swung it out with force... He missed! The football rolled past his feet!

Kojevic and Luwienke were stunned, obviously not expecting Zhang Jun to make such a mistake. The two watched helplessly as the ball passed to Kezman in the penalty area.

Kezman was also stunned for a moment, but he immediately adjusted his ankle, and knocked the incoming ball in, then started, took a big step, and shot powerfully with his left foot!

Westerveld, who rushed out in a hurry, failed to block the angle in time. The football hit the bottom edge of the crossbar and then bounced into the net!

"The ball hit... the ball went in! goooooooooooooooooooAL! Kezman's second goal! Eindhoven takes the lead again! Zhang Jun made an unforgivable mistake! There are only ten minutes left in the game. Judging from the current situation, Eindhoven's advancement is certain!"

After scoring the goal, Kezman turned to look at Zhang Jun outside the penalty area. He was staring blankly at the football in the goal. A fatal mistake... Kezman turned his head back and waved his fist towards the coaching bench, followed by his teammates who were swarming towards him.

There are still ten minutes left. The score is 2:1. Eindhoven is leading the visiting Volendam at home thanks to Kezman's two goals. Zhang Jun's unexpected mistake almost ruined the entire team. Can they equalize or even surpass the score in the remaining ten minutes? What will Zhang Jun's performance be like? Is his confrontation with Kezman at a disadvantage like this?

No one would know, not even Zhang Jun himself. His leg injury had just healed, and he shouldn't have played in this game, but Adriaanse needed a victory, and he was also eager to play, so in the end, he stood on the field. At that time, after the team doctor examined his body, he asked him if he really wanted to play in the game. He thought about it, and then nodded affirmatively. He didn't know if his choice was right, because of his mistake. If he hadn't played, there wouldn't have been a goal, right... But could he still escape after already standing on the field? As long as the coach didn't substitute him for one minute, he would have to persist for one minute.

In football, no one knows the result until the last minute!