Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 224 Starting Lineup! Against PSV Eindhoven!
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

At the end of the bustling Damrak Street, right at the bend of the Amstel River, there is a row of bars.

If you continue walking along the river, you will see a bar marked 'House of Red and White' in Dutch.

This is the area where die-hard Amsterdam Sporting fans gather.

They watch away games here.

But today, a disturbing atmosphere is brewing here.

Furthermore, the number of police officers patrolling the area has increased significantly. As they patrol, they frequently glance at the 'Red and White House,' and if there is any disturbance, they will immediately rush in to prevent a riot from occurring.

Meanwhile, inside this bar.

A large number of fans stood on both sides of the bar.

They occupied both sides, creating a situation of equal footing.

Three people were sitting at the round table.

The bar owner, Old Dam, puffed on his pipe, his eyes occasionally glancing at two middle-aged men who were crossing their eyes.

The blond-haired man on the left is Francis Barker, the leader of 'Red and White Youth,' one of the die-hard Amsterdam Sporting fan groups.

The bearded man on the right is Luca Ivanz, the leader of 'The Revivalists,' one of the die-hard Amsterdam Athletic fan groups.

In fact, there is only one group of die-hard fans of Atlético Amsterdam: the 'Red and White Youth'.

However, six years ago, some fans left the group and founded the 'Revivers'.

They chanted "For the revival of the great Amsterdam Athletic" and were known for their extreme style of behavior.

Luca Ivantz narrowed his eyes and broke the silence.

"Buck! Drop those childish ideas and join us. Amsterdam needs a revival!"

Francis Barker stated firmly, "We are on the road to revival!"

"What do we have to revive?" Ivantz scoffed. "Fifth in the league? Or six years without qualifying for the Champions League? Man, a bunch of kids can't possibly succeed. We need stars. Only then can we be great again."

Buck said in a deep voice, "Don't insult them, because that's insulting ourselves. They've reached the Champions League semi-finals, and we should be proud of them!"

"Yes! They reached the Champions League semi-finals, but a bunch of kids can never win a championship!" Ivantz said firmly. "Don't you understand? In this damn world, you can't win a championship without throwing money at it!"

"It's not a matter of spending money; the intensity of the Dutch league is not enough to attract star players."

"That's because we haven't spent enough. How much do we earn every year? How many players do we sell? And how many of them are actually used to build the first team? They all go into that damn youth training program. They call us a star incubator, damn it! They say we're number two!"

Ivantz glared and shouted, "We are the great Atlético Amsterdam! Those bastards, they don't even have a single Champions League title, yet they dare to look down on us like this. Why? Because they throw money at us, they buy our finished products, and we can't keep those brats."

“Those bastards! Those traitors! They keep saying ‘Athletico Amsterdam is their eternal home,’ but then they just pack up and go chase their Champions League dreams because they know they can’t win the Champions League here!”

Ivanz's roar echoed through the bar, each word deafening, silencing the fans.

Because what he said was true!

An unchangeable fact!

"I will not give up our point of view!" Ivanz stood up and roared, spreading his arms wide.

"For the great Amsterdam!"

Behind him, a group of people also raised their arms and roared loudly:

"For the great Amsterdam!"

After saying that, they followed Ivanz and turned to leave the bar.

Only after these people left did Buck slowly exhale and rub his temples.

The bar owner, old Dam, was still smoking, exhaling thick smoke as he said:

"Ivanz's ideas are too extreme."

Buck nodded; "Yes, but he's not wrong either. A bunch of kids can't bring in a champion."

Old Dam slowly got up, took the remote control from the counter, and turned on the television.

Two LCD TVs were mounted on the ceiling for fans to watch.

"Let's watch the game and stop thinking about these headaches."

Old Dam shook his head.

This is not something that their fans can solve, or even something that a club can solve.

This is a problem affecting the entire Dutch Eredivisie ecosystem.

"You're kidding!"

Suddenly, a fan pointed at the television and exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone else looked over.

Buck also looked up.

The above are the starting lineups for both sides.

Among them, he saw the name 'Wei.L'.

Buck was also stunned for a moment.

He still had some impression and goodwill towards the Chinese player who had two assists in his debut, but why was he given a starting position so quickly?
And it was against PSV Eindhoven?

Has Morton gone mad?

"Is he trying to ruin the game?"

"Reyesa is injured? No! He's still on the bench!"

"They've gone mad! They've all gone mad!"

"What are you doing?"

The fans were in an uproar.

This is their revenge war!
Why did they start a 17-year-old kid in this game?

Are you sure you're not kidding?

Starting lineups for both sides:

PSV Eindhoven (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Smolenskir.

Defenders: Essien, Bressena, Van der Preer, Van Delitte.

Midfielders: Suleiman, Van den Bell, Arnold Fernandez, Elkeson, Alonso.

Forward: Robin.

Amsterdam Athletic (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Rutte.

Defenders: Gaeri, Shutak, Kadips, Lund.

Midfielders: Robinson, Wei Lai, Kenny Taylor, Hendrick, Conrad Lehmann.

Forward: Juan Felix.

Standing in the players' tunnel, Wei Lai stretched his body.

Conrad Lehmann, who was behind him, inquired;

"nervous?"

"Huh?" Wei Lai turned his head; "What's there to be nervous about?"

Konrad Lechmann grinned and shook his head.

"never mind!"

That's really strange!

Generally speaking, starting and coming off the bench are completely different concepts.

But for Wei Lai, whether he came on as a substitute or started, his emotions didn't seem to fluctuate much.

It's as if this guy has gone through all these situations and hasn't wavered at all.

Even the strongest heart has moments of unease.

But Wei Lai didn't feel that way at all.

pat!

Conrad Lehmann felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Felix leaning in and whispering, "That's what angels are like!"

Konrad Lehmann rolled his eyes.

Wei Lai was still a little nervous, but he had experienced this situation too many times in the mock classroom, so he didn't feel much about it.

The pre-match tactical arrangements have been finalized; all they need to do is execute the tactics.

"Kid!"

Hendrick suddenly turned his head to look at Wei Lai from the front.

"Remember this: if I'm being watched by the other side, all the pressure on the organization will fall on you."

Wei Lai patted his chest with a smile: "Leave it to me!"

Hendrick narrowed his eyes; "I hope you're not exaggerating!"

He tightened his captain's armband and shouted, "Amsterdam!"

"go ahead!"

The crowd roared and followed the referee onto the field.

Shh! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ——

A huge chorus of boos erupted.

The moment they entered the stadium, they felt the purest malice.

These PSV Eindhoven fans do not welcome them.

The sounds of shouting, insults, and provocation were incessant.

The boos were deafening.

On the Amsterdam Sporting coaching bench, Peschan expressed his concern;
"Are we really going to let Wei organize this?"

Morton said calmly, "Who else could it be but him? If Hendrick is being targeted, who else can we send to organize this?"

Peschan thought it over and realized he couldn't find a suitable player.

In fact, Hendrick was not a competent organizer either.

At the very least, he wasn't doing all the detailed work at Manchester City.

However, Atlético Amsterdam simply cannot find a suitable playmaker right now. Last season, at least Matkovic helped Hendrick share the playmaking burden, but he transferred away in the summer transfer window.

Peschan couldn't help but grin.

He felt that Morton wasn't just forcing growth, but rather pulling Wei Lai's head upwards with all his might.

"After this match, take Wei for a thorough check-up." "What's wrong?" Pessan asked.

Mr. Morton said, "He hasn't had a break since April last year. The format of the Chinese Super League is different from ours. He played at least 20 rounds of the Chinese Super League. Although some of his appearances were as a substitute, he still had a lot of playing time. In addition, he went through a dense schedule of the U-17 World Cup in November. When he came here, the training volume of this kid was still astonishing!"

“He’s only 17 years old, I’m afraid his body won’t be able to handle it.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Shang frowned and said, "A thorough examination is indeed necessary."

"Also, simplify Wei Lai's training program and shorten the cycle," Grandpa Morton said slowly. "He's different from the others; this guy can evolve!"

Peschan grinned again.

At the same level, the midfield position is the most difficult to develop.

It not only requires a large number of players, but also a lot of games to be played, trial and error, and gradual progress.

There are too many technical requirements.

Moreover, technique is only the foundation; other aspects such as game reading, vision, and rhythm also need to be developed during the game.

Wei Lai is a freak!

Because this guy seems to have been born with these advanced skills, and then he can work backwards to learn the basics, which greatly reduces the training period.

But both Morton and Peschanh knew that feeding the game a lot was the right thing to do.

However, considering that Wei Lai is only 17 years old and his body has not fully developed, he needs a certain buffer period to relieve fatigue.

Otherwise, they would perish halfway through their journey and lose everything.

They finally found such a promising talent, and they don't want to waste his potential.

Meanwhile, preparations for the match have been completed on the field, and the players from both sides are shaking hands.

Wei Lai shook hands perfunctorily with each of the PSV Eindhoven players.

When it was Alonso's turn, Wei Lai gripped him tightly.

Alonso frowned and looked at Wei Lai.

Wei Lai glared.

"There's something wrong!"

Alonso shook off Wei Lai's arm and turned away.

Wei Lai: "Damn it! This guy doesn't remember me at all."

In the Dutch commentary booth, Van Gaal looked at the starting lineup and joked:

“I don’t understand what Atlético Amsterdam is thinking? They chose to start Wei, even though his performance in the last two games was not bad. Starting in the revenge match against PSV Eindhoven, can a young player really handle the pressure? Or can he provide any help to the team?”

"Morton has made quite a few mistakes in recent seasons! Many people have started to say that he has dementia, and I hope he is not making a stupid mistake this time."

"Let's see what kind of performance this young Chinese player can deliver!"

Van Gaal's tone was somewhat flippant.

However, starting Wei Lai in this match is not a safe choice.

He believes that the stubborn Morton is once again showing off his 'out-of-the-box tactical understanding'.

Although, in many cases, such a decision can completely destroy one's own tactical system.

The comment section of Lek Sports' live stream exploded.

"Holy crap? Are they doing this? Starting the game right away?"

"While I'm happy, isn't this putting too much pressure on you?"

"Wei Lai! Charge! Start! Start!"

"Starting directly against PSV Eindhoven, has Morton gone senile again?"

"This isn't training, it's destroying them!"

"Damn! Wei Lai's mentality might collapse after just one match!"

The comments section was filled with concerns, and at the same time, Zhan Jing and Zhang Lu also looked worried.

"This...this is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, isn't it? Even if you think it's promising, you can't use it like this, can you?" Zhan Jing's face was full of worry.

Although he thought highly of Wei Lai, he was only 17 years old after all!

He'd only played two rounds of the Eredivisie, and then he started in the match against PSV Eindhoven. The pressure wasn't just immense, it was overflowing!
Aren't you afraid of ruining your training?

Inside a house in Jiaozhou, Zhang Zhenting suddenly stood up from the sofa.

He stared at Wei Lai on the screen, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

But more than surprise, there was anger.

"What is the old man doing? Is he going to cripple Wei Lai?"

He doesn't think Wei Lai is capable of starting in this kind of game.

If things go wrong, Wei Lai could be completely ruined!
Their form and mentality were completely destroyed!

I've never seen military training like this before!
Zhang Zhenting was in a panic, but there was nothing he could do but keep cursing the old man.

Meanwhile, the match on the field had already begun.

Beep!
The moment the whistle blew, Eindhoven charged into Amsterdam Atlético's half of the field.

They pressed forward aggressively, taking advantage of their home field advantage and employing an extremely fierce high-pressing strategy.

Wei Lai immediately retreated a few steps, and Hendrick immediately moved closer to the back line to receive the pass.

"Pass!"

The moment Hendrick received the ball, he heard footsteps beside him, immediately passed it back to the center-back, and then moved to the right wing.

But right next to him, PSV Eindhoven winger Suleiman was close behind.

Hendrick knew he was being watched.

This is also the usual pattern for PSV Eindhoven when playing against Atlético Amsterdam.

Previously, they used this high-pressing tactic to constantly disrupt Hendrick and secured victory in their first-half-season encounter.

"As expected, Eindhoven is still targeting Hendrick as a support player. So far, Hendrick still hasn't found a suitable solution."

Van Gaal shook his head.

He simply did not believe that Hendrick was a competent organizer.

Amsterdam Sport is the best of the worst.

At this point, Atlético Amsterdam switched the ball to the right side.

"Should we go down the right flank or make a long pass?"

Just as Van Gaal was speculating, he saw a red and white figure retreating straight and deep into the ground, its jersey number being 25.

"Oh?"

Van Gaal was somewhat surprised.

Soon, he saw Gaeri pass the ball to Wei Lai without hesitation.

Wei Lai turned his body to the side and stood still, as if he hadn't seen anyone following him from the side at all.

"It's over!"

Van Gaal grinned, about to criticize Wei Lai's choice.

Suddenly, he saw Wei Lai lightly touch the ball with his right foot, turn around to avoid Alonso's pressing, and face Robin's blockade again. He stepped forward with his right foot, pushed his body forward, forcing Robin to slow down, and at the same time cut the ball down with the instep of his left foot. He then turned around to face forward again and pushed forward with his right foot.

It emerged from between the two like an eel.

"Wow! That was a fantastic run-through!" Van Gaal looked at Wei Lai with some surprise.

Some things can be identified at a glance during a match.

Wei Lai did a very good job of getting away from the opponent in this small area. His footwork wasn't that fast, but he was stable and maintained a good sense of rhythm.

After getting past the defender, Wei Lai immediately passed the ball forward to Kenny Taylor.

"Do not worry!"

Wei Lai followed up again, signaling for a pass back; "Take your time!"

After Kenny Taylor passed the ball back again, they continued to deepen their positioning.

Instead, Wei Lai passed the ball horizontally to Robinson, who had retreated to receive it.

"That's a powerful charge!"

Wei Lai couldn't help but frown.

This rhythm isn't comfortable to play!
Scare them!

"Make it back for me!"

Robinson immediately responded.

Wei Lai swung his left arm and slammed it towards the ball.

boom!
With a wide-ranging pass, the ball traced a beautiful arc in the air like a rainbow.

Looking at the arc, Van Gaal couldn't help but exclaim in surprise;
"My God! How did they manage to execute that curved pass?"

The boos that had been surging throughout Frederickland Stadium suddenly fell silent.

The PSV Eindhoven fans were also stunned; they had never seen such a long pass before.

Even the Spanish prodigy, Antonio Alonso, looked up in astonishment:
"What the hell!"

The PSV Eindhoven coach on the sidelines shouted anxiously.

"Left! Left! Someone's coming from the left! Van den Bell, move to the left! Hurry!"

But before Van den Bell could start.

On the left, Konrad Lechmann skillfully stopped the ball in front of him, while eyeing Essien menacingly.

Konrad Lehmann's eyes held a hint of ferocity.

"Come on! I'm here to inspect your defenses!"

Konrad Lechmann sprinted the ball forward with great speed.

Essien followed in a disheveled state.

But the next second, this guy suddenly stopped and changed direction, and suddenly rushed to the side.

This time, Essien was far behind.

Fortunately, Van den Bell arrived in time and, by pulling and dragging, managed to foul Conrad Lehrman and bring him to the ground.

Beep!
A sharp whistle sounded.

Van den Bell committed a foul and received a verbal warning, while Atlético Amsterdam won a free kick on the left.

(End of this chapter)