Chapter 103: Everyone Has Their Own Stage (Free Request for Monthly Votes)

Dragon Bisheng did not notice Fan Pengfei’s unusual mood, but in truth, he had no time to pay attention. The players were clamoring to treat Ding Yu and Zhou Wei after fiercely securing the victory, wanting to save Ding Yu’s face and ensure Zhou Wei did not bear the blame for the loss. Under this pressure, Ding Yu smiled and agreed, and after some hesitation and the implicit threat from Hu Gandang and Li Jie, Zhou Wei reluctantly consented as well.

Thus, Dragon Bisheng had little time to converse with Fan Pengfei. He only managed a few words before joining his teammates off the pitch, ready to feast and celebrate their hard-fought victory while also “fleecing” Ding Yu and Zhou Wei.

Gathering nearly a hundred people—including the entire girls’ team and their accompanying teachers—finding a venue that was both spacious and affordable proved no easy task. Large restaurants were invariably expensive, and cheap ones were too small. In the end, Ding Yu bit the bullet and settled on a medium-sized establishment.

Everyone knew Ding Yu’s income was not meager—he was assistant coach of the Yunjiatianyu first team, head coach of the reserve team, and coach of the Yunjiatianyu Football School’s 1989 age group squad. Drawing three salaries, his earnings matched or even surpassed some first-team substitutes. Zhou Wei came from a wealthy family, so others did not mind letting the two of them foot the bill.

At the banquet, Ding Yu raised his glass repeatedly, toasting the girls’ team who had cheered tirelessly during the match, many of whom ended with hoarse voices. As he downed five cups of Wuliangye consecutively, his face flushed and his neck thickened from the alcohol.

Jian Ying, coach of the girls’ team, laughed at Ding Yu. “Coach Ding, just a few drinks to thank us? Isn’t that a bit too light?”

Ding Yu, slurring his words, replied, “Then what do you want me to do? As long as I, Ding Yu, can do it—through fire and water.”

“No need for fire and water,” Jian Ying chuckled. "I’ve seen the schedule. By the time of our final, your finals will be over. How about bringing your whole squad to cheer us on then?”

“Yeah, yeah! We cheer for you; you should return the favor!” the girls called out.

“No problem!” Ding Yu waved his hand grandly. “Guys, any objections?”

Anyone who said yes at that moment would surely have lost their mind. Dragon Bisheng and the others were clear-headed and answered enthusiastically, “We’ll definitely be there!”

“How’s that?” Ding Yu turned to Jian Ying. “We’ll bring the championship trophy to cheer you on!”

Having made such a boast in front of the girls’ team, Ding Yu’s smile faded as he turned his thoughts to the upcoming final.

Their opponent was an old rival: the 1989 age group team from Shanghai Chongming Island Football School, led by the renowned former Jia-A star coach Xu Genbao.

Shanghai Chongming had knocked out Shandong Taishan Football School’s 1989 squad to reach the final. Shandong was no weakling—they had reached the semifinals the previous year before being eliminated by Dalian Dongfang Football School. Yunjiatianyu had only edged them out with a golden goal in the third-place match. Their versatile right winger Gao Zhifa, center back Qin Han, defensive midfielder Sun Qing, and forward Shi Zhentao were all formidable players. Last year, their performance had caused Yunjiatianyu no small trouble. Though not strong in offense, their tenacious defense and excellent physicality made them a tough team. Yet, even they fell to Shanghai Chongming.

Shanghai football had long been a representative of the southern style. Players from Shanghai possessed the characteristic delicacy of the so-called “Shanghai little men” (not a derogatory term). Technically, they were on par with Guangdong players, but their sole league championship to date came through Xu Genbao’s “pressing and surrounding” tactic.

At the time, this strategy was highly effective, but as Jia-A league players grew stronger and more skilled, the tactic became outdated. This led to Xu’s quiet dismissal from Shanghai Shenhua. Afterward, the club resolutely pursued a technical style, hiring Eastern European and Brazilian coaches who valued skill. After another defeat at Dalian Dongfang, Xu stepped away from the frontline. Serving as head of a football school for a year gave him pause, and in his own academy, he began to emphasize technical player development.

Shanghai players already had a solid technical foundation, especially the 1989 team led by Xu. Midfield core Xu Shaochuan grew up playing street football in Shanghai’s narrow alleys, honing exceptional dribbling skills, awareness, and incisive short and mid-range passing. Had he not been injured by a tackle from Dalian’s Jiang Qi in the final, Dalian might not have won that tournament. Hu Gandang found it hard to gain the upper hand against him. Assisting Xu Shaochuan was another technically gifted midfielder, Gu Yu. While Xu excelled at dribbling, breaking defenses, and delivering killer passes, Gu was a master organizer and distributor with a powerful long-range shot, often surprising opponents with unexpected long passes.

Their two forwards were interesting as well—though not tall, forward Luo Li was elusive in movement and excellent at positioning, adept at lurking in the box for a killer strike. The other forward, Wei Qing, was extremely fast, skilled at thirty-meter counterattacks and fierce shooting. Both lacked physical prowess but coordinated well.

As the offensive mainstays of Shanghai Chongming’s 1989 squad, these four typified technical players—excellent footwork and game sense but weaker in physical duels. It was unusual that Xu Genbao, famed for “pressing and surrounding,” had nurtured players who neither pressed aggressively nor surrounded opponents.

Countering such an attack was not difficult—Xu’s own “pressing and surrounding” was perfectly suited if executed with greater intensity: assigning two to three physically strong players to tightly mark the two midfield organizers, rapidly exhausting them, then concentrating forces in defense to neutralize the two forwards’ scoring runs, minimizing the threat.

But that was impossible now. Yunjiatianyu’s starters had fought fiercely in the semifinals, exhausting their stamina. Though roughly recovered during the three days before the final, they could not afford a high-exertion tactic lest they collapse before the opponent.

It seemed the battle would be decided by midfield technical play.

Though Zhou Wei was absent, Dai Guangming’s skills could match anyone’s. Moreover, Shanghai lacked towering center backs like those in Dalian or Shandong. Defending against Dragon Bisheng would be tough—this year was different from last. Last year, Shanghai controlled his aerial crosses so well that Dragon Bisheng was nearly invisible on the pitch. This year, with his newfound dribbling and breakthrough ability, Dragon Bisheng would smash through Shanghai’s somewhat fragile back line like a tank.

Clearly, the key this match was to leverage Dragon Bisheng. Though not Ding Yu’s favorite player, he was the most reliable at this moment.

When two evenly matched forces confront each other, the strength of an ordinary, non-elite unit often becomes the turning point. Football is the same. When star players and key figures cancel each other out, it is the overlooked, ordinary player who, by virtue of unique traits, becomes the focal point.

Everyone has their grand stage. In life, fate always offers such a platform—some early, some late, but always present. How well you perform on it determines whether you get another chance.

Dragon Bisheng had shined on his previous stage, so naturally, he earned a second chance.

Before the final, Ding Yu entrusted him once more: position—center forward; mission—score goals.

Ding Yu’s bold deployment of Dragon Bisheng paid off. He relied on Dai Guangming and others to contest the midfield technical battle, while assigning all goal-scoring duties to Dragon Bisheng. On the field, Dragon Bisheng was like a roaring tank, crushing Shanghai’s defense one by one.

Xu Genbao tried to suppress Yunjiatianyu’s attack with offense, but Yunjiatianyu avoided midfield entanglements, quickly advancing with the ball over half-field and feeding Dragon Bisheng. Though his brute style was not highly efficient, it shattered Shanghai’s defense.

A clean, decisive 2-0 victory followed. After Dragon Bisheng broke down Shanghai’s defense, Yunjiatianyu’s offense grew easier. Zhang Yi scored a beautiful direct free kick, then Dragon Bisheng headed home a cross from Dai Guangming on the counterattack. What was expected to be a hard-fought final turned into a surprisingly effortless triumph.