Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 251 The Great Battle Is Imminent
"Hahaha!"

Diego Ruma was breathing heavily.

Despite the fact that the match only lasted 40 minutes, I still felt a lot of pressure.

The Argentine league has a fast pace, but the Dutch league is even faster. In particular, the combined pressure of pace and physicality makes it difficult to think and make decisions calmly.

Diego Ruma turned to look at Wei Lai.

Although Wei Lai was somewhat tired, he was still relatively relaxed.

He had watched Wei Lai's games from the sidelines and thought he could do the same, but when he actually got on the court, he realized just how fast Wei Lai's decision-making speed was.

"Very good performance!"

Wei Lai walked over with a smile.

Diego Ruma pursed his lips: "I didn't score!"

"But you've delivered results!" Wei Lai patted Diego Ruma on the shoulder: "A sharp blade on the flank! That's your role right now. Don't stray from your responsibilities without authorization from the coaching staff."

No coach likes a player who is out of control, no matter how good that player is.

The coaching staff's lineup is fixed.

Everyone has their own job, but once someone breaks this balance, everything falls into chaos.

For example, Diego Ruma is a sharp winger. He plays more as a strong-side attacker, drawing fire on the strong side to create space for Konrad Lehmann on the weak side.

However, if he forces a shot on the strong side, it will not only ruin the attack but also put the midfield in an awkward position.

"Let's go!"

Wei Lai patted Diego Ruma on the shoulder again, then turned and left.

Konrad Lehmann also glanced at Diego Ruma, his eyes showing a hint of displeasure.

It's easy to understand, after all, Diego Ruma tried to finish with his shot multiple times!

It's not that it's impossible, but it depends on the priority!
Konrad Lechmann calls for a pass; it's a must-pass!
This is the core benefit!

But Diego Ruma's failure to pass must have upset Conrad Lehmann.

"Six consecutive wins!" Wei Lai entered the locker room, excitedly raising his hands: "Yay!"

The others immediately burst into cheers.

Six consecutive league wins, a perfect start, and their form has been on a steady upward trajectory.

At this moment, they are even more confident in their chances of winning the Champions League.

Back at the training base in the evening, Coach Morton led the team in a debriefing session.

Time is tight due to the Europa League match on Wednesday.

In this review, Morton criticized Diego Ruma.

It's not that if your breakthrough efficiency is high, then you've done a good job. He has to fulfill his tactical obligations, but he clearly didn't do that well.

Of course, he also meant to vindicate Konrad Lechmann.

Once again, I want to emphasize to everyone who the core player is on this team.

Diego Ruma remained silent in the face of Morton's criticism.

Wei Lai saw the frustration on Diego Ruma's face, but he had to get used to it.

Here, he is no longer Argentina's darling, just as Wei Lai is no longer Prince Willie.

They all started from scratch, gradually adapting to the new environment.

The following morning, Mr. Morton once again gathered the first-team players in the tactics room.

This match is in preparation for the upcoming second round of the Europa League.

In the second round of the Europa League, Sporting Amsterdam will host Brighton, a strong opponent from the English Premier League.

Brighton finished sixth in the Premier League last season, qualifying for the Europa League.

At the end of the season, they had nine more points than Manchester City, who finished eighth in the league last season.

This also means they won't be playing in any European competitions this season.

From this perspective, Brighton's current form is stronger than Manchester City's.

Of course, their match against Manchester City is not relevant, since those guys didn't put in much effort.

Mr. Morton mentioned a total of three players, all of whom Brighton needs to be wary of.

Center forward #9, Vickers; winger #7, Adinelli; and Japanese player Mitsui Fuji from Asia.

These three players can be considered Brighton's attacking trident, with extremely strong offensive capabilities and excellent teamwork.

In the last round of the Premier League, they won 5-0 away against Sheffield, with Vickers scoring a hat-trick and Adinelli scoring twice.

But the key issue is that the attacks were all initiated from the left wing, namely by Mitsui Fuji.

"A typical strong-side to weak-side tactic!" Wei Lai muttered to himself as he looked at the tactics board.

Mitsui Fuji is similar to Diego Ruma in his sharp attacking style, drawing firepower on the strong side to break through and free up Adinelli on the weak side, or assisting center forward Vickers to score a goal.

Mitsui Fuji is one of the most successful Asian players, after all, he can occupy a starting position in the top teams of the five major leagues.

This guy also has a nickname in China: 'The Football Doctor'.

In the football world, where the average level of education is low, this guy's status as a college graduate is a significant advantage, and his graduation thesis was also about football, earning him the nickname 'Football Doctor'.

But Wei Lai knew that this guy was a formidable opponent.

His ability to break through defenses and his sharp attacking style will put considerable pressure on Atlético Amsterdam.

"Remember! We are a unit! Our tactics emphasize coordinated movement, whether in offense or defense!"

Mr. Morton concluded by emphasizing the defining characteristic of the Dutch tactical system: total football.

Even Konrad Lechmann will pull back to participate in defensive pressing when necessary.

Meanwhile, in Brighton, England.

Brighton Football Club also holds tactical meetings at their training ground before the start of their training camp.

In his tactical setup for the second round of the Europa League, head coach Powell stood at the forefront.

This was a chubby, middle-aged man with a mustache, pointing to the tactical board behind him:
"Guys, we're about to face a tough challenge from Atlético Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie!"

Everyone's expression turned serious.

Other Dutch teams are one thing, but Amsterdam has always performed well in European competitions. Even teams from the top five leagues can be upset by them.

Therefore, we dare not be careless in the slightest.

Seeing the serious expressions on everyone's faces, Powell nodded and said:

"First is Amsterdam's number 10, Konrad Lechmann. He is the team's attacking core and also a breakthrough player on the left wing. He has strong one-on-one individual ability, and sometimes even without the support of the midfield, he still poses a threat."

"Number 9 center Juan Felix, I think most people here will be familiar with him."

Vickers looked at Felix's photo and pursed his lips slightly.

When he first debuted in the Premier League, he encountered Joao Felix at his peak.

Lightning-fast speed!

Excellent archery skills!
Exquisite footwork!
He is like a perfect center forward, leading the team to victory after victory.

At that time, Vickers was still a substitute, and he didn't even have the chance to play alongside Felix.

"Musar, the Italian midfield maestro!"

Head coach Powell once again brought out a figure to explain Mussar's tactical characteristics.

Soon another photo appeared, and a young face appeared on the big screen.

“Wei, number 25 for Atlético Amsterdam, is undoubtedly the engine of Amsterdam’s attack,” Powell said. “We are good at transitioning from the strong side to the weak side, but this kid can do it more efficiently with a precise long pass. You could say he is the switch that activates Konrad Lechmann’s firepower and helps the latter create one-on-one situations in the attacking third.”

"We need to disrupt not only the initiation points of long passes, but also Konrad Lehmann. At the very least, our defensive midfielders cannot push too far forward, otherwise our defense will be breached!"

Powell turned to his players and said loudly, "What does aggressive defense require?"

Everyone responded loudly.

"Run actively!"

“That’s right!” Powell nodded; “Alright, guys, we should go out and train.”

The league and the Europa League overlapped, resulting in two matches per week for the first three weeks of the Europa League season.

They have a Europa League match midweek and a league match to prepare for on the weekend.

For Sporting Amsterdam, both Wei Lai and Musár need to play in the Europa League. They can be rested in the league, but they definitely can't in the Europa League.

After the midweek Europa League match, it's time for Wei to rest this weekend.

no way!
Mr. Morton is quite a rare find!
The two playmaking midfielders are a mismatch: one is too old, and the other is too young.

None of them dared to be used as mules.

If there were any resistance, he wouldn't have used it like that.

But there's just nothing we can do about it!
Both Atlético Amsterdam and Brighton are actively preparing for the two-day pre-match period.

Both teams currently have one win in their group.

Amsterdam Sporting has the better goal difference, so they are ranked first.

In the morning, Wei Lai rode his electric bike, carrying Diego Ruma, to the training base.

Wandering through the gradually awakening streets, you see groups of people jogging on both sides of the road, pass by roadside cafes where the aroma of coffee wafts through the air, and hear the clanging of trams and the flashing lights. These are the scenes that greet Wei Lai in Amsterdam in the morning.

Good morning! Good morning, Uncle Tommy!

Good morning, Wei!

"Good morning, Aunt Dai Li, your corn porridge is fantastic!"

The community where Wei Lai lives was jointly developed by Amsterdam Athletic Association and the City Hall, so the community is relatively clean and tidy.

A considerable number of people live here, including some athletes, but most are ordinary residents.

Soon after Wei Lai moved to this community, news spread that a player who plays for Atlético Amsterdam had moved in.

However, they all valued their private lives and therefore did not disturb Wei Lai.

However, from then on, every morning they could see a young man riding an electric bike to and from get off work.

I started riding my electric scooter up the hill, and once I got to the top, I saw the famous Macaulay 100.

We turned onto a side road and drove all the way to the entrance of the base.

Beep beep!

Wei Lai honked the horn.

The parking barrier slowly rose, and in the security room, a figure groggily got out of bed.

"Wei, you always come too early, it's affecting my sleep!"

Wei Lai smiled and winked: "If you play fewer video games, you'll get more sleep."

"Oh!" Trif sighed, shaking his head. "Spare me, I can't live without it!"

Wei Lai twisted the accelerator: "Have a nice morning!"

Trif blew a kiss back.

"Wishing you a fantastic performance in today's match, our Chinese boy!"

Diego Ruma had seen it all and said in a deep voice, "They all like you very much."

"The key is communication!" Wei Lai laughed. "If you don't open your mouth and try to communicate, you'll only become more lonely!"

Wei Lai felt that he had become more cheerful than in his previous life.

On the one hand, there is the continuous improvement of football skills, and on the other hand, there is the constant contact with different people and things.

Despite the good and the bad, these things gave Wei Lai different feelings.

At least he's not as closed off as before; he's willing to communicate and try to interact with people.

And all of this helped him become a more cheerful person.

Upon arrival at the base, park the electric vehicle.

The two immediately headed to the cafeteria. Since Mendy couldn't find a suitable cook, Wei Lai was too lazy to look for one and just ate at the cafeteria.

As for his cravings, he could only satisfy them at Chinese restaurants.

After all, both the coaching staff and the sports center have stated that as athletes, they cannot frequently consume foods high in oil and salt.

After the meal, the teammates arrived one after another.

Wei Lai went to the physiotherapist for a check-up and relaxation massage, and then did some simple body-activating exercises.

Around 10 o'clock, Mr. Morton called the players to the tactics room again to further emphasize the tactics.

The afternoon was almost entirely dedicated to tactical positioning for the game.

As night falls, a wild atmosphere slowly permeates Amsterdam.

On the southeast side of the city, a large number of Amsterdam fans gathered, centered around the die-hard group 'Red and White Youth', and poured into the Amstel Stadium.

The air at night was cool, neither stuffy nor cold.

It feels very comfortable.

This also led Wei Lai to feel that his condition in all aspects was gradually improving.

"The camera focused on Wei. This young Chinese player has been outstanding this season and is already a crucial part of Atlético Amsterdam."

During the warm-up, Wei Lai's outstanding performance led to more close-ups from the camera.

Wei Lai was juggling the ball. After every two juggles, he would turn his head to look to the left and right, muttering something to himself.

"Three!"

Boom!

"two!"

Boom!

"Five!"

He wasn't simply turning his head to observe; he was actually observing.

His observations were mainly focused on the coaches on both sides.

On either side of the field stood two coaches, who would raise different numbers of glow sticks as Wei Lai turned his head.

This was something Wei Lai asked the coaching staff to do, and unexpectedly it actually came to fruition.

You can't just turn your head aimlessly; you have to gather information with every observation.

Whether it's Coach Xavi, Coach Cazorla, or the Wanderers coach, they all say the same thing.

And all of this is inseparable from focus.

This type of training aims to increase the frequency of observation and concentration.

Snapped!
Wei Lai stepped on the ball and slowly exhaled.

I feel like I'm gradually getting into the game mode.

Soon, the warm-up session ended, and Wei Lai followed his teammates toward the player tunnel.

"This is Lek Sports, the second round of the 2027/2028 UEFA Europa League group stage, the match between Atlético Amsterdam and Brighton!"

"In this match, Atlético Amsterdam will face a challenge from a strong Premier League team. Compared to Marseille in France, the latter is clearly stronger. Can Atlético Amsterdam secure a victory at home?"

Duan Jiang rubbed his hands together, looking incredibly excited.

On the one hand, this is a crucial battle for the group.

On the other hand, this is an Asian derby!
In the past, Asian derbies were almost exclusively dominated by Japanese and South Korean players, but with the emergence of Wei Lai, everything changed.

Soon, the players from both sides changed into their jerseys in the locker room and appeared in the player tunnel to wait to enter the field.

Amidst the sudden surge of cheers, the players from both sides began to enter the field.

"Ok?"

Wei Lai was somewhat stunned when he entered the room.

It wasn't just Wei Lai; other players from Atlético Amsterdam were the same.

Amstel Stadium is divided into upper and lower stands, with a horizontal board between them, usually used to hang banners or similar items.

But now, all of these horizontal boards have been turned into billboards.

In addition to the area surrounding the stadium, many new advertising billboards have also appeared below the upper tier of the stands.

Moreover, most of these billboards feature Chinese characters or Chinese brands that Wei Lai is familiar with.

"Is this okay?" Wei Lai asked, puzzled.

Mussal tilted his head and said, "It should be fine. FIFA has requirements for the distance between advertising billboards, but I don't think there are any requirements for the number!"

Wei Lai nodded, looked over again, and couldn't help but grin.

Has this been invaded by Chinese capital?
Wei Lai recalls that there were broadcast billboards, which used specific technology to place different advertisements in different broadcast areas.

But what's going on? Are there not enough billboards for the broadcast?
Wei Lai shook his head and took a deep breath.

His thoughts were wandering too much; he needed to bring his attention back.

The players from both sides lined up during the Europa League theme song.

As the song gradually came to an end, Wei Lai slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, his focus was at its peak.

The competition is about to begin.

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

Defenders: Dennis Zilben, Shutak, Kakabanja, Lent.

Midfielders: Wei Lai, Musar, Reyesa.

Forwards: Robinson, Felix, Conrad Lehmann.

Brighton (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Feverelli.

Defenders: Demp, Landers, Van Kerk, Webber Rice.

Midfielders: Adinelli, Grosso, Bonaz, Kostevic, Mitsui.

Forward: Vickers.

Both sides lined up their formations, and a major battle was about to break out.

Wei Lai took deep breaths, adjusting his breathing rhythm, and looked across the field, constantly observing the opposing players while also thinking about how to break into the game.

He is the engine of Atlético Amsterdam's attack, and his performance directly affects the team's firepower. There can be no room for complacency!

(End of this chapter)