Chapter 53: Against Anderlecht
The midweek saw the Belgian Cup Round of 16 match between Genk and Standard Liege. Aimee Antonis deployed a full squad of substitutes, giving up on the cup competition, and they were eventually eliminated with a 0-1 scoreline.
In the 19th round of the Belgian Pro League, Genk faced Charleroi away. Both teams played with no reservations from the start, turning the game into an all-out offensive battle.
In the 12th minute, Gareth Barry dribbled past the left flank, delivering a low cross to the edge of the small penalty area. Wang Feng swiftly inserted himself and, with a quick stop using his right foot, shot directly into the bottom right corner of the goal.
1-0! Genk took the lead.
However, just 8 minutes later, Charleroi launched a rapid counterattack. The forward successfully broke the offside trap and calmly shot past the goalkeeper to equalize for the home team.
As the first half neared its end, Carl Bess sent the ball behind the defensive line from midfield. Wang Feng successfully broke the offside trap and received the ball inside the penalty area. Facing the approaching defender, he flicked the ball with his right foot to the left, then flicked it again with his left foot, eluding the defender with a feint.
Following this, Wang Feng quickly shot with the outside of his foot, sending a low-angle shot curving into the net.
2-1, Genk regained the lead! This scoreline held until the final whistle, with Genk defeating their opponents away and securing all three points with Wang Feng's two goals.
In the 20th round of the Belgian Pro League, Genk hosted Westerlo.
Just five minutes into the game, Westerlo's defensive clearance error was intercepted by Genk defender Christian Civu, who passed it to the rapidly advancing Carl Bess. Knowing that Wang Feng would be there, Bess instinctively passed the ball to the right side of the defense near the penalty area.
As expected, Wang Feng, who had quickly advanced, arrived at the ball before the defending player. With a powerful shot with his left foot, he pierced Westerlo's goal.
In the 31st minute, Genk won a free kick in the opponent's half. Bess threw the ball to Civu, who quickly turned and crossed the ball into the penalty area. Wang Feng leaped high in the box, outmuscling the defender, and headed the ball into the goal.
With Wang Feng scoring twice, Genk defeated their opponents with a two-goal advantage.
With three consecutive matches scoring twice, totaling 6 goals, the Belgian media were amazed, unable to find better words to describe Wang Feng's performance.
Sports Report commented, "Wang Feng has become a nightmare for all defenders. Since the start of the second half of the season, his attacking efficiency has been astonishing. Although he doesn't take many shots in each game, they are all within the frame of the goal, and he has scored 6 goals."
"This also corresponds to what he said in the interview, that he won't shoot recklessly just to score goals."
The Latest News Report's headline was a big question mark: "When will Wang Feng join the top five leagues?" The article pointed out that Wang Feng's level had already surpassed the defensive abilities of the Belgian Pro League, and staying in the league would only make him a bully. Undoubtedly, the top five leagues could satisfy his growing abilities.
Standard Report sarcastically remarked, "Genk's attack relies entirely on Wang Feng. After Wang Feng leaves, they will decline rapidly." To be honest, this was already within the expectations of team manager Bill Albert. Genk originally planned to make a breakthrough this season and then rebuild.
In the 21st round of the Belgian Pro League, Genk would once again clash with Anderlecht, a match also referred to by the media as the "championship battle." As the name suggests, whoever wins this game will basically secure the league title.
In early February 2001, this highly anticipated showdown arrived as scheduled. The players of both sides lined up in the player tunnel, while the referee, Belgian Grady Schuster, made the final checks on the players before kickoff. He lingered a bit longer on Wang Feng, who had recently been in the spotlight.
Jan Koller stood on Wang Feng's left side. They nodded slightly at each other but did not communicate. From their respective eyes, they both sensed the competitive spirit. Wang Feng was unwilling to concede the league and top scorer position, while Jan Koller refused to give up and wanted to give it another shot.
Once the game started, both of them performed admirably. In the 3rd minute, Wang Feng created space on the right with his runs, and Barry accurately passed the ball to him. Wang Feng crossed, and Jason Aldridge's header narrowly missed the goal.
Three minutes later, Jan Koller led Anderlecht to respond. After a series of passes and runs in the opponent's half, he played through multiple Genk defenders, finally making a through pass into the penalty area. Jan Koller's shot was saved by the focused Genk goalkeeper.
The situation on the field gradually intensified, and it was about who could step up at the crucial moment to give their team the advantage.
"Now, let's take a look at this. Wang Feng has the ball on the wing, surrounded by defenders, with no clear chance."
"Barry comes to support, passes to Barry, quick cut inside, Barry passes it back, defenders closing in, Wang Feng controls the ball."
"Shot! It's in! Goooooal! Fantastic! In the 27th minute, Wang Feng scores a stunning world-class goal, giving Genk the lead."
"After Barry passed to Wang Feng, Wang Feng came to the edge of the penalty area under the interference of the defenders. But suddenly, he took a long shot, piercing Anderlecht's goal directly."
"This time, Anderlecht's defense showed no loopholes, and Esteban Casin was desperately using his body to press Wang Feng. However, even in this situation, Wang Feng could still receive the ball and take a shot, indicating how excellent his physical fitness is."
After conceding the goal, Casin looked dejectedly at the celebrating Wang Feng and Genk players. He was very annoyed with himself for not stopping Wang Feng with a tackle or foul. When he tried to confront Wang Feng physically, he felt like hitting a wall. No matter how hard he tried, Wang Feng remained immovable, making it hard to imagine what kind of strong physique he had under his clothes.
Jan Koller looked at his frustrated teammates, clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention, and then confidently said, "It's just one goal; we can turn it around immediately. Everyone, pull yourselves together, there's still plenty of time, we haven't lost!"
The teammates nodded and rallied. Six minutes later, Genk captain Aaron Abigail made a fatal mistake, being dispossessed by Jan Koller when passing the ball in the back, allowing Jan Koller to break through and score a one-on-one goal.
Genk had just scored less than ten minutes ago, and everyone hadn't fully recovered from the joy, resulting in a mistake that allowed Jan Koller to strike.
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