Chapter 316: Dongfang Zhuo in despair
Netherlands, Alkmaar Training Base. Young Chinese players Dong Fangzhuo and Wang Feng had a phone call. Dong Fangzhuo congratulated Wang Feng on winning the European Golden Ball Award. After hanging up, Dong Fangzhuo sighed slowly.
Compared to the illustrious Wang Feng, Dong Fangzhuo felt somewhat ashamed of his own performance. So far this season, he had played 13 league matches and 4 group stage matches in the league cup for the team, but only managed to contribute 3 goals and 1 assist.
For a forward, this performance was indeed subpar. His playing time had been reduced to the minimum specified in his contract — 45 minutes.
He didn't know how many more chances he had. According to feedback from Balmond, the club's management seemed to be losing patience gradually. They even wanted to terminate the contract with the Chinese player by paying the penalty because his playing time guarantee had already affected the team's performance.
Despite this, Dong Fangzhuo still didn't give up. He maintained his habit of going to the training base for extra practice every day, arriving first in the morning and leaving last at night. Compared to the beginning of the season, his skills and abilities had improved significantly.
Walking back to the locker room with his phone in hand, Dong Fangzhuo stopped at the door. It seemed like they were discussing something about him inside. "Damn it, when will that Chinese guy get lost?"
It was Dong Fangzhuo's substitute, Fan Sael, who spoke. His playing time was closely related to Dong Fangzhuo's, so he despised the Chinese player who remained on the field without making any impact.
Defender Delon Williams chimed in, "Yeah, why did the club agree to such strict terms when signing this dude?" At that moment, everyone began to complain. His poor performance and relatively high salary had already caused dissatisfaction among almost everyone.
No one was willing to step up to defend him, not even the team captain, Maldeya, who had once supported him. He believed that Dong Fangzhuo was no longer suitable to stay at Alkmaar.
Listening to these mocking words, Dong Fangzhuo clenched his hand holding the phone until it hurt, then pretended nothing happened as he pushed the door open.
The gossiping voices immediately lowered, but there were still jealous teammates speaking ill of him to his face. Fan Sael even intercepted him directly, "Hey, softie, did you call your mommy to complain?"
"Darn off, benchwarmer. You know I never complain because I work harder than any of you," Dong Fangzhuo said coldly. Fan Sael paused at his words. The diligence of the Chinese player within the club was well known, which was the only aspect worth praising about him. That was why the head coach had yet to make a move and force the management to make a decision to terminate his contract.
"Humph, burying yourself in practice won't change anything. Before the winter break, you'll definitely pack your bags and leave!"
Dong Fangzhuo ignored him and instead, put down his phone and changed into a fresh set of sports gear, continuing to head back to the indoor training room to work on his fitness. There, Le Goff, Wang Feng's personal coach, was waiting for him.
On the night of December 10th, Dong Fangzhuo watched the 14th round of La Liga matches on TV. Real Madrid faced Sevilla away, and Wang Feng once again delivered a brilliant performance.
Sevilla, currently ranked third in La Liga, had a strong attacking force that Real Madrid's fragile defense couldn't withstand. The away team quickly conceded two goals.
Among the scorers for Sevilla was the Brazilian talent Robinho. His preferred club initially was the Galactic Battleship, but Real Madrid rejected him in favor of signing Wang Feng, which made this goal somewhat retaliatory.
However, just before the end of the first half, Real Madrid launched a brilliant counterattack. Guti attracted the defense in midfield before passing to Wang Feng, who immediately ran into the space behind the defenders after receiving the ball. He then passed to Raul with a sweeping motion.
Raul didn't hesitate, sending a through ball with his left foot, and Wang Feng, inside the penalty area, used the tip of his foot to shoot, piercing through Sevilla's defense in an instant.
This goal made Dong Fangzhuo exclaim in admiration, also feeling a sense of realization. For an attacking player, vision and positioning seemed crucial. If one kept staring at the ball at their feet, they couldn't create such brilliant attacking combinations.
Following that, Wang Feng scored two more goals in quick succession, completing a hat-trick once again. Sevilla, unwilling to be outdone, also scored one more goal, resulting in a 3-3 draw.
The fluctuating game thrilled all the fans and left Dong Fangzhuo restless. In his mind, he kept replaying Wang Feng's movements on the field. Each of his runs seemed perfectly timed, something Dong Fangzhuo was currently lacking.
Two days later, in the 14th round of Eredivisie, Alkmaar hosted Ajax at home. Ajax comfortably occupied the top position in the league this season, followed closely by Eindhoven, making it highly likely that the league title would come from these two teams.
While Alkmaar, who finished second last season, had dropped to eighth place. Although the main reason was the strain of balancing league and European competitions for a smaller team, many fans still blamed Dong Fangzhuo's performance for dragging down the club.
As the home team stepped onto the brand-new DSB Stadium, the moment Dong Fangzhuo appeared, the fans greeted him with boos. As the match progressed, these mocking voices grew louder.
"Good evening, dear viewers. This is the sports channel, and now we bring you the Eredivisie match between Alkmaar and Ajax."
"This season, Alkmaar has a player we are very familiar with, Dong Fangzhuo, who shone brightly at the World Cup. Therefore, their matches are closely watched by domestic fans."
"Coach Zhang, what do you think of Dong Fangzhuo's performance this season?" asked Lan Jianxiang. "Well, I think for a 21-year-old player, his performance isn't too bad."
"Perhaps everyone has become accustomed to Wang Feng's dominant performances on the field, but in reality, Dong Fangzhuo represents the situation for most young players. After all, if one can establish themselves in the top five leagues, they are already among the top professional players."
"But as a key player in Eredivisie, Xiao Zhuo's performance is somewhat disappointing. And from the coach's arrangements, it can be seen that he is gradually losing trust."
"Yes," Lan Jianxiang continued, "According to the information we have, Dong Fangzhuo's contract with Alkmaar includes detailed provisions regarding starting guarantees and playing time, which is why he has been starting even during his downturn."
"This clause has its benefits and drawbacks. The benefit is that he can continuously play and improve. After all, for young players, every match is an opportunity to grow."
"But the drawbacks are also obvious. If the performance is poor, it will inevitably lead to the disdain of fans and the club. Dong Fangzhuo is currently experiencing this."
"It's definitely a difficult time, but I hope Xiao Zhuo can persevere and find his rhythm as soon as possible. He is the most promising attacking player we have after Wang Feng."
"Well, as the referee's whistle blows, the game officially begins. Ajax takes the kick-off, and let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams."
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