Chapter 39: Victory once again
On the last weekend of August 2000, the Brussels Van den Stock Stadium was packed to capacity. With the sound of the main referee's whistle, this highly anticipated match officially began.
Wang Feng returned to the starting lineup for this match, looking extremely excited. Shortly after the start, he actively retreated to receive the ball, then shook off a defender and took a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but unfortunately, the ball went over the crossbar.
This kind of offensive threat created through individual ability greatly boosted the team's morale. Genk also took the initiative and launched a fierce attack against Anderlecht.
In the forward line, both Wang Feng and Jason Aldridge were young players with explosive speed, taking turns to challenge Anderlecht's defense. In midfield, Carl Bess and Gareth Barry were responsible for organizing the attack, supplying balls, while the rest of the team actively fought for defense.
In order to compete for this season's league championship, Genk showed a determination to win.
In the tenth minute, Wang Feng received a through ball from Barry on the right and turned to sprint along the flank. Utilizing his speed, he broke through two defenders and then cut inside, nearing the edge of the penalty area.
Facing the tight marking from the Anderlecht defender, Wang Feng calmly pushed the ball forward, successfully rolling past the defender. However, the defender resorted to a foul, pulling Wang Feng's shirt and causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground.
"The main referee blows the whistle. This is an obvious foul for pulling. We can see that player number 13, Bob Jones, has received a yellow card, and Genk has been awarded a set-piece near the edge of the penalty area."
"Let's take a look at the slow-motion replay. Indeed, this decision is beyond dispute. If Wang Feng had been a little further forward, he would have entered the penalty area, and a foul there would have resulted in a penalty kick."
"From this play, we can see that Wang Feng's speed is at a dominant level, and his sprinting down the flank is unstoppable."
As Bess walked up to take the free kick, preparing to strike the ball, Civu also approached. The two of them whispered together for a while, only taking their positions after the opponent had set up the defensive wall, standing side by side, making it unclear who would take the shot.
Meanwhile, Wang Feng was roaming inside the penalty area, looking for an opportunity. Although he had never scored with a header before, his recent training in ball control using various parts of his body had given him a deeper understanding of heading.
With the referee's whistle, Bess and Civu began their run-up, and the air both inside and outside the field seemed to freeze.
As the two Genk players ran up to take the free kick, the attacking players also followed suit. The main defender marking Wang Feng was a small-sized center-back, and since Wang Feng had never demonstrated a threat with his head, Anderlecht did not pay much attention to defending against him.
However, the defender did not let his guard down. He tightly grabbed Wang Feng's shirt and hurriedly followed him as Wang Feng started moving, but he was blocked by Aldridge along the way, causing him to lose his grip on Wang Feng's shirt.
At the penalty spot, Bess quickly ran up but did not touch the ball. Instead, Civu, who followed closely behind, directly kicked the ball. The ball quickly rose and flew towards the penalty area.
After shaking off the defender with a pick and roll, Wang Feng watched the trajectory of the incoming ball while judging its landing spot. With chaos in the penalty area, no one noticed that there was no one marking Wang Feng.
As the ball flew into the penalty area, it suddenly dropped with great speed, catching many players off guard. With his senses already in position, Wang Feng leaped high, exerting force from his waist and abdomen, and headed the ball directly into the net.
With the force applied to the ball, its trajectory changed instantly, directly piercing into the net near the goal. The goalkeeper stretched sideways, extending his arms as far as possible, but it was still beyond his reach.
"Goooooooooooal! In the eleventh minute, Genk's Wang Feng scored with a header, opening the scoring for the team."
"This is also his first headed goal in his professional career. Let's congratulate this seventeen-year-old youngster; his attacking methods have become more diverse."
As Wang Feng landed, he ignored the dumbfounded defenders around him, quickly turned and rushed out of the field, raising both hands to the sky, celebrating his goal.
Behind him, his teammates also followed suit, embracing him in celebration.
"This was a set-piece cooperation in the frontcourt by Genk. Civu delivered a high-quality pass, and Wang Feng leaped high in the penalty area to head the ball into the net from close range, scoring his fifth league goal of the season."
"From the slow-motion replay, Genk's set-piece cooperation was very ingenious, and Aldridge's screen was perfectly timed, creating a gap for Wang Feng without any marking."
"Wang Feng's header was also remarkable. His jumping ability was amazing, reaching his knees near the chest of the defending player after jumping, and the angle of his header was very tricky. Although the goalkeeper tried his best to save the ball, he was powerless."
"With Wang Feng's current hot form, I wonder if Anderlecht's players are recalling last season's Belgian Cup final, haunted by Wang Feng's shadow."
The first half ended with Genk leading 1-0. Not long after the second half began, it was Wang Feng again who created an opportunity near the edge of the penalty area. Receiving the ball with his back to the goal, he turned and passed it to the right flank. Wang Feng sprinted past the defender, and with a back-heel shot, the ball found the net.
2-0! Wang Feng scored his second goal!
In the 78th minute, Bess seized an opportunity for a quick counterattack and accurately found Wang Feng in the frontcourt. Wang Feng used a step-over to shake off the defender on the wing before delivering a cross. Barry, following up near the penalty spot, scored, virtually sealing the victory for Genk.
In the final moments, Anderlecht managed to pull one back through Jan Koller, avoiding a clean sweep. The final score settled at 3-1, with Genk taking all three points.
After this match, Genk climbed to the top of the Jupiler Pro League standings, leading Anderlecht by one point. Wang Feng, who contributed two goals and an assist, once again won the appreciation of the major Belgian media.
Team manager Albert said in an interview: "So far, Wang Feng has been the best player in the Jupiler Pro League. We are confident of achieving breakthrough results in both the league and the upcoming Europa League."
Anderlecht's team manager added, "I regret missing out on a superstar. Yes, I believe Wang will definitely become a superstar."
He continued, "Our scouts have always had a good eye. They discovered Jan Koller, and now his value should have increased thirtyfold, but still not as much as Wang's increase. When they told me Wang would become the next Jan Koller, or even better, I didn't believe it. That was my mistake."
Moreover, many media outlets believe that after these few matches, Wang Feng's performance has surpassed Jan Koller comprehensively, and since he is ten years younger than him, his future development will surely be even better.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶