Chapter 1 The Mid-Road Offense

"Who can tell me what the so-called mid-road offensive area on the field refers to?" Qiu Suhui said to all the players. Now, as Volendam's assistant coach, he helped Adriaanse a lot in his work. He also gained the trust and respect of the players because of his outstanding management skills and tactical abilities.

"The middle? Isn't the middle just that area in the middle in front of the penalty area?" Auchu replied.

"Anything else?"

The players whispered for a long time, but couldn't find a different answer from Auchu.

"Nothing else?" Qiu Suhui asked with a smile. Seeing all the players shaking their heads, he continued, "Heh heh, actually, the width of the mid-road offensive area we generally refer to should be less than the large penalty area, but slightly larger than the width of the goal area. In the game, the defending side is quite aware of the importance of this area, so they will try every means to guide the attacking side's offense to the wing area. Everyone understands why wing attacks are so popular in modern football, right? Both offense and defense hope that the ball will be active on the wing, so the wing naturally becomes the most popular place."

Some of the players nodded.

"The defending side will achieve this goal by competing with the attacking team for space and time in the middle, that is, competing for possession. Therefore, as the attacking side, in order to strengthen the attack in the frontcourt, the first thing to do is to create space in front of the defense. Once the space is created, you should always remember two things: First, a moment's delay in strengthening the attack will help the defending side. Therefore, when an opportunity arises, everyone must not hesitate and seize the time to move forward as much as possible. Second, attacking players with or without the ball must judge the degree of risk of the offensive tactics. What does that mean? When the defending side has gaps due to your running and pulling, you need to judge how likely you are to successfully seize this opportunity now, and whether the situation on the field requires such a risk? If you think it is necessary and doing so can bring huge benefits—scoring a goal—then don't hesitate, pass the ball immediately! Because a slight hesitation may allow the opponent to close the gap, or it may cause your receiving teammate to run into an offside position."

"Coach, in that case, should we try to adopt a risky style of play as much as possible?" Buyes asked.

"Heh heh, it's not like that. Buyes, you are an attacking midfielder, so you should pay special attention to this. If you lack the correct attitude towards risk, even a moment's thought will cause you to lose the initiative in the attack. Taking a horizontal transfer or a back pass when you should take a risk, and forcing an attack when you shouldn't, the former will lose a great scoring opportunity. In some games, a scoring opportunity may determine the outcome of the game. And if you rashly adopt a risky style of play, the consequences may be more serious. When your own army is pressing forward, it will be very dangerous once the opponent intercepts the ball and launches a counterattack, because the players are likely to experience a brief mental lapse at the moment of offensive and defensive transition, and their attention is not focused enough. Strengthening the attack is actually very simple, that is, the player with the ball speeds up the attack, or the player without the ball speeds up the attack, or both." Qiu Suhui looked at Buyes. Seeing his expression, he had listened. Whether he could digest it or not depended on him. His time was running out. Being able to help his teacher as much as possible now was a way of repaying him for his teachings back then.

"Buyes, if you have the ball at this time, you will generally face three choices: passing, dribbling, and shooting. Right?"

Buyes nodded.

"Okay, then I'll tell you, if you can't clearly judge the situation on the field and whether you should use a risky style of play, then you should choose to shoot. Here, I want to tell everyone that you should shoot as much as possible when attacking, because the chances of success are more than you think. Do you know why there are so many incredible goals in the game? Heh heh!"

The players laughed along.

"If you are preparing to pass the ball, then the first choice should be to pass the ball to the space behind the defense. If you decide to dribble, then you should contain a defensive player from running towards the ball. Then carry out one of the following four actions: 1. Pass the ball past the defensive player; 2. Pass the ball to your teammate and immediately run into the space behind the defensive player, preparing to receive the teammate's pass. The most common one is the two-on-one; 3. Dribble past the defensive player; 4. Overtake the defensive player to shoot." Qiu Suhui counted his fingers and lectured everyone. Then he took a tactical board and drew and explained to the players on the field.

"Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, listen carefully. What I am saying now has the greatest relationship with you. You should be players without the ball, and the first choice for players without the ball in this situation is to cut into the space behind the defense. Among the various possibilities that defenders face, the most difficult situation besides being shot by the opponent into the net is letting the attacker control the ball in the space behind them. The essence of effective tactics lies in creating the situation that the opponent least wants to see—this is especially important in the attacking third. Therefore, in the attacking third, the attacking players' attitude must be characterized by decisiveness and a willingness to take risks."

"But, coach, you make it sound so easy, but it's not that simple to actually do it, is it?" Yang Pan asked.

"That's true. Theories are things in books, but if you want to transform them into the technical and tactical skills you use on the field, you need to train. You need to know that the victory of a game sometimes comes from a moment of inspiration, but the inspiration comes from thousands of hours of hard training. It may take a ton of practice to gain an ounce of progress, but when the balance is even, only an ounce is needed to break the balance. That's why the difference between success and failure is so great, but the line that separates them is often very small."

Qiu Suhui closed the tactical board that had been messed up, and then blew the whistle: "Okay, everyone start training! Our training today is about what I just talked about, how to conduct offensive cooperation in the middle of the attacking third!"

Ster looked at Qiu Suhui's back and said to Adriaanse beside him, "You taught a good student, coach..."

"Ster, please help me set up the markers, okay? I need a square field of 30 yards x 10 yards." Qiu Suhui turned his head and shouted to Ster on the side.

"Okay!" Ster quickly ran over with the markers in his arms.

Adriaanse looked at the busy figures of the two coaches and a group of eager players, and felt that this team was really starting to have hope.

Maria looked at the two dusty Chinese people in front of her with some surprise. They claimed to be reporters who had come all the way from China to do an exclusive interview with Zhang Jun and Yang Pan.

Maria has been Volendam's press officer for five years, and this was the first time she had encountered such a cross-border interview. She couldn't make up her mind, so she had to dial the head coach's office again. Recently, there seemed to be more and more Chinese people in the club. First, two Chinese players, and then even a Chinese coach came. Now, even Chinese reporters from thousands of miles away have been attracted! When did Volendam, a small club that was once ridiculed by some media as a "country team," become a fragrant piece of fat? She couldn't figure it out.

Adriaanse was discussing with Qiu Suhui in the office about the countermeasures against the Eerste Divisie team Go Ahead Eagles in the next cup match. But when he heard that there were Chinese reporters asking to interview Zhang Jun and Yang Pan, he opened his mouth wide and looked at Qiu Suhui.

"What's wrong?"

"Hey!" Adriaanse laughed dryly, "Your fellow countrymen, two Chinese reporters are asking to interview Zhang Jun and Yang Pan."

Qiu Suhui was also a little surprised, but he quickly reacted. They must have heard about the reports in the Netherlands before coming to his door. Chinese people have a strong sense of national self-esteem. Golf star Tiger Woods was rumored by the media to have one-eighth Chinese ancestry, and they almost gave him the title of honorary citizen of China. Now, two Chinese players suddenly appeared on the Dutch field and performed very well, so they naturally came after hearing the news. Although Adriaanse implemented control over the news media, there were still the names of the two and the club name. For the powerful reporters, that was enough.

Like many coaches, Qiu Suhui was not good at dealing with the media, and therefore hated reporters. He shook his head at Adriaanse.

Adriaanse turned to Maria at the microphone and said, "Tell them that the club does not accept any interviews with Zhang Jun and Yang Pan."

Hearing the news officer's reply, Li Yan was very disappointed, but he couldn't do anything. If the head coach didn't agree, there was no way he, as a reporter, could interview them. Although unwilling, he had to leave with Wang Hua in disappointment.

"What should we do? Is the vacation ruined?" Wang Hua asked while driving.

Li Yan was flipping through the Volendam tourist manual he had just bought, without answering.

"What are you looking for?" Wang Hua asked strangely.

"Looking for a hotel." Li Yan didn't look up.

"Looking for a hotel? Could it be..."

"Hehe! Liu Bei invited Kong Ming after visiting his thatched cottage three times. This is only my first time." Li Yan circled a location with a pen. "We'll stay here! It's not far from the training base and the transportation is very convenient... Turn right at the intersection ahead, and then go straight."

He closed the manual. "I don't believe that if I go there every day, it won't have any effect? That Adriaanse is an iron rod, and I'll grind him into a needle!"

Zhang Jun had recovered from the excitement of scoring his first goal. Actually, he was forced to. He was so excited after scoring his first goal that he made frequent mistakes in Monday's training, which made his teammates very dissatisfied. Finally, Qiu Suhui scolded him fiercely during the training break, telling him that if he was complacent now, he would at most become a meteor, not a star. At that time, Zhang Jun asked a question that Yang Pan thought was very silly: "When can I be proud?" Qiu Suhui was stunned at the time, and then thought for a long time before answering him. It seemed that silly questions could also make people react slowly. Qiu Suhui answered him like this: "When can you? Well, that, you can be proud after you score a goal, but remember, you only have that one moment to be proud. After the ball is kicked off again, immediately regain your composure and then look for opportunities that will allow you to be proud again."

Since being taught a lesson by Qiu Suhui, Zhang Jun has indeed put a lot of effort into training.

But no one would know what Zhang Jun was really thinking in his heart now. His superficial composure was just for a greater explosion.

Zhang Jun had been feeling restless recently. Although he didn't show it in training, he would often be silent when he was alone or when he returned home. This was not in line with his personality when he was with Yang Pan--the two of them were always making trouble.

At first, Yang Pan was also a little strange, afraid that Coach Qiu had made him depressed after scolding him that time. But when he saw Zhang Jun always looking at the calendar on the wall intentionally or unintentionally, he understood. "Hehe, this lovesick fool..."

Today is October 13th. In four days, it will be the second round of the cup against Go Ahead Eagles. In the first round, Volendam narrowly passed the test by penalty kicks. And three days after the game will be the 20th. Zhang Jun began to feel uneasy because of the approaching date. He didn't know if he would be able to play. Although he scored a goal in his first appearance, he was severely scolded by Coach Qiu in the subsequent training, which must have left an impression on head coach Adriaanse as someone who was easily complacent...

He called Sophie yesterday. When Sophie knew that he had scored a goal in the Netherlands, Zhang Jun didn't hear Sophie's voice on the phone for a long time. He worriedly called out Sophie's name: "Sophie, Sophie! What's wrong? Why aren't you talking..."

He didn't know that at this time, Sophie was busy wiping her tears. Zhang Jun scored a goal, but she didn't shout out excitedly as before. Instead, she cried. She really didn't understand herself... Could it be tears of joy?

"...Sophie, Sophie? I scored a goal, aren't you happy?"

"No...no, I'm just too happy...really, too happy." Sophie finally returned to normal. "Are you still used to being in the Netherlands? Did you become a celebrity after scoring a goal?"

"Hehe!" Zhang Jun scratched his head. "I didn't do anything on Sunday. My hand was sore from signing autographs, and my eyes were blurred from taking photos."

"That's good. Don't think about anything there and concentrate on playing football. I'm fine, very fine, you don't have to worry. Take care of yourself. Yang Pan is older than you, so listen to his advice more. I have nothing to say. I, I have to go to class..." Sophie hung up the phone in a panic, without even listening to Zhang Jun's reaction. She looked at the dark sky outside the window. Her roommates were already asleep. What class was she going to?

"Class?" Zhang Jun put down the phone with some doubts and said to himself. This was probably the shortest time they had talked on the phone. Usually, when he called back, Sophie would have to drag him to talk about school matters for a long time. What's wrong today? He originally wanted to give her a surprise...

Maria saw the two Chinese people again, but this time they said something different from yesterday. They wanted to interview head coach Adriaanse. Maria thought that the head coach only told her to reject any applications to interview Zhang Jun and Yang Pan, but interviewing the head coach should be allowed. She connected the phone to the head coach's office.

When Adriaanse heard that there were Chinese reporters who wanted to interview him, he thought that they were probably the two Chinese people who came yesterday. He thought for a while, and then said to the phone, "Please let them in."

After listening to Li Yan and his friends' self-introductions, Adriaanse went straight to the point: "Your real purpose is to find Zhang Jun and Yang Pan, right?"

Li Yan was stunned after listening to his friend's translation: "That's right." He smiled a little awkwardly after having his thoughts guessed by others. He had originally planned to interview the head coach in a roundabout way, first cultivate a good impression with him, and then approach Zhang Jun and Yang Pan. He didn't expect that this plan would die before it even started.

"You are very honest...but, why do you think you have the confidence to get my interview permission?" Adriaanse stared at Li Yan. He already knew that this person was the real leader, and the one next to him was just a translator.

"Why?" Li Yan thought that the speech he had prepared last night hadn't been a waste. He cleared his throat: "I think the wishes of hundreds of millions of fans in China and the professional ethics of a football reporter are not enough? Chinese players are playing in the Dutch league. I think I, as a football reporter, have a responsibility to tell their news to the fans in China who care about them. And I think our interview will also help Chinese fans understand the Dutch league and increase the number of Chinese fans for your club..."

Adriaanse interrupted his speech: "Hehe, don't tell me these things. I'm not an official of the Dutch Football Association. It's not my responsibility and obligation to increase support for the Dutch Football Association. Adding a few more Chinese fans to Volendam won't bring much benefit to the team's results, and it can't help the team stay in the league. If your reasons are only these, then I have to say I'm sorry, please..." He stood up and stretched his hand towards the door, in a gesture of seeing them off.

Wang Hua hadn't translated this sentence to Li Yan yet when he saw Li Yan suddenly stand up and shout loudly in Chinese: "Please wait, please wait! Mr. Adriaanse! Please wait, I still have something to say. You can drive us away after you listen to what I have to say!" He turned his head and said to Wang Hua, who was brought to the side: "Quick! Translate it for him to hear! Quick!"

Wang Hua, who had come back to his senses, quickly translated, fearing that he would be driven out by Adriaanse if he translated too slowly.

Adriaanse sat down again after hearing the translation: "Okay, you say it, I'm listening."

Hearing Adriaanse's reply, Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, and then he slowly sat down, using this time to think about how he should organize his words. "Well, I think I understand your worries." After saying this, Li Yan asked Wang Hua to translate it first and see Adriaanse's reaction.

After listening, Adriaanse looked at Li Yan with interested eyes: "Continue."

As if encouraged, Li Yan's voice rose: "You don't want the media to contact Zhang Jun and Yang Pan. I think there are two reasons, right? First, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan suddenly appeared in the game against PSV Eindhoven, catching Hiddink off guard. This should be considered your secret weapon. Since it's a secret weapon, it should naturally maintain its due sense of mystery, used to confuse opponents and prevent them from seeing the true strength of the two, so that the team can gain a lot of benefits in the next game. But have you ever thought about it? Are the teams in the Dutch league all idiots? If one game can't allow them to study it, what about two, three, four, or five games? They will always be thoroughly researched by the other party. There is no eternal secret weapon in the world, and the same is true for football."

Wang Hua didn't translate directly, but touched Li Yan, reminding him that this was too impolite? What kind of coach was Adriaanse? Did he need this Chinese reporter to tell him how to arrange his strategy? But Li Yan said in a low voice: "Translate it as it is!" He had figured it out. Even a rabbit would bite when it was in a hurry, so it was time for him to be a man too!

After Wang Hua finished translating, without waiting to hear what Mr. Adriaanse had to say, Li Yan continued: "The second reason? I'm afraid you are worried that they will be exposed to the media too early, which will have a bad impact. There are many examples of people who have lost themselves because of becoming famous too early. Every World Youth Championship can always produce so many stars of tomorrow, but how many people can succeed in the end? Your worries are correct, and your intentions are also good. But have you ever thought about it? If you don't take the fledgling eagle to see the blue sky, how will it learn to fly? Flowers in a greenhouse can never withstand the wind and rain, and chicks protected under the wings of a hen can never become eagles!" After Li Yan finished speaking, he looked quietly at the old man in front of him, while his friend was translating the last few sentences for him. After listening to the translation, Adriaanse closed his eyes and remained silent for a while.

The office was silent.

Li Yan turned his head to look out the window. From here, he could see the training field behind the building. On the verdant training field, the sunlight shone on the tips of the grass with a charming light, and the silhouettes of a group of players against the light jumped under this brilliance. What a beautiful picture!

Adriaanse coughed softly, and Li Yan turned his head back and looked at the other party again.

Adriaanse's fingers tapped lightly on the table: "What aspects of them are you interested in?"

After listening to his friend's translation, Li Yan looked at each other, and they had already seen joy in each other's eyes: This old stubborn finally surrendered!

Li Yan said excitedly in English: "Everything!"

Qiu Suhui was giving Zhang Jun a separate lesson, pulling him aside to explain in detail how he should run in different set-piece tactics, when he heard Adriaanse calling him.

"Qiu, call Zhang Jun and Yang Pan over!"

Qiu Suhui led the two away from the training field and walked to Adriaanse, but saw two Orientals next to him, or rather, Chinese people.

When Li Yan saw this thin Oriental man, his eyes lit up, and he quickly extended his hand: "I really didn't expect to see you here, the former genius Mr. Qiu Suhui!"

As soon as Qiu Suhui saw these two people, he knew that Adriaanse must have agreed to their interview request. He really didn't know how they had deceived his teacher's trust. When the other party wanted to shake hands with him, he didn't even look at him, and turned his head to Adriaanse and said, "I've brought the people here. I'm going back to training." After saying that, he turned around and left.

Adriaanse smiled apologetically at Li Yan: "Sorry, he's just that kind of person. He hasn't changed in years. Don't take it to heart."

Li Yan retracted his hand, smiled awkwardly, and didn't say anything.

Adriaanse gave a few instructions and left. There were still many things waiting for him to deal with. Zhang Jun, Yang Pan, Li Yan, and Wang Hua conducted the interview in a corner of the field where no one would disturb them.

Without Wang Hua's translation, the interview without language barriers would be very pleasant. Li Yan looked at the sweat on Zhang and Yang's faces and started this key interview: "The training intensity is very high. Can you handle it?"

"It's okay." The two nodded.

Li Yan looked around and pointed to the grass under his feet: "Don't be so formal, let's just sit on the ground, okay?"

Everyone had no objections.

"I'm Li Yan, a reporter from Domestic *Sports Weekly*, and this is my friend and translator in the Netherlands, Wang Hua." After a brief introduction, he got straight to the point.

Li Yan turned on the recorder and started recording. Wang Hua, on the other hand, had prepared his pen and paper and was ready to take notes of their conversation at any time.

"Don't be nervous. Just imagine it as a chat between three compatriots in a foreign land. It's very free. Say whatever you think of." Li Yan spread out his hands, signaling them to relax.

The two smiled, but the smiles were different. Yang Pan grinned casually, while Zhang Jun smiled slightly, a little restrained.

"What are your special feelings about scoring a goal in the Dutch Eredivisie? Excited, thrilled, or calm?" Li Yan threw out the first question "casually."