Chapter 63: Make history
Muskron, Le Cannet Stadium. When the referee blew the final whistle, Wang Feng, panting heavily, stopped his running steps.
Sweat had soaked his clothes completely. Before the game, who could have imagined that it would be so difficult?
Muskron was deeply mired in the relegation zone, so their tenacity displayed far exceeded Genk's expectations. Moreover, in this game, Genk's shooting accuracy was severely lacking. Out of 18 shots, only 5 were on target. This was partly due to the tight defense, but more so because the players were out of form.
After a goalless first half, Genk received the latest news: Anderlecht had won again, which meant that if Genk couldn't secure all three points in this game, they would drop to second place in the standings.
In the second half, Genk intensified their attack, but faced with the opponent's ironclad defense, they found it somewhat difficult to break through.
It wasn't until the 89th minute when Genk won a direct free kick on the left side of the field, a good thirty meters away from the goal. Originally, Aaron Abigail wanted to play a short pass, but Wang Feng stepped up and said, "Based on Muskron's previous tactics, they will definitely pack the penalty area with defenders. It's hard for us to find a chance for a header. Let me take the shot instead."
Abigail asked in surprise, "But it's thirty meters away from the goal. Are you sure?" Wang Feng pursed his lips. He had to step up and give it a try!
Then he found Civu and discussed the plan for the free kick: "You run first and pretend to pass into the penalty area. They know your passing accuracy is top-notch, so there will definitely be some chaos."
"Then you just let the ball go past you, and I'll take the shot."
Civu nodded, and when the time came to take the free kick, all the players respected Wang Feng's decision. Throughout the season, it was Wang Feng's goals that had brought Genk to where they were now.
As the referee blew the whistle, Civu ran to the penalty spot. The defensive wall and the players inside the penalty area were indeed in chaos, but Civu didn't touch the ball; he just ran past.
Just before Civu reached the ball, Wang Feng had already started. He was fast, and by the time Civu passed by, Wang Feng was in position. He used all his strength to strike the ball with the outside of his foot.
The ball shot out, straight through the confused defensive wall, then suddenly curved to the right after entering the penalty area. The Muskron goalkeeper was taken aback, completely unprepared for the ball's strange trajectory.
By the time he reacted, the ball had already entered the top right corner of the net.
A match-winning goal! With the game nearing its end, Wang Feng's pinpoint free kick sealed the victory.
Civu put his arm around Wang Feng's shoulder and smiled, "Well done, mate. Once again, you've saved the team." Wang Feng shook his head, "This isn't just my accomplishment. The defense at the back, the organization in midfield, and the cooperation upfront—all are crucial factors in Genk's success."
In the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, Genk hosted Sofia Levski at home. In the 31st minute of the first half, Genk launched a counterattack from the back, with Barry passing to Wang Feng on the right. Wang Feng dribbled through the midfield and then sprinted directly towards the penalty area.
Two defending players chased after him, but Wang Feng's ball control was too strong, and his physical confrontation was also impressive. He firmly controlled the ball at his feet.
When Wang Feng entered the penalty area, the third defending player also came to close him down. Wang Feng slowed down slightly, feinting a shot, which prompted the defender to stretch his leg to block, but Wang Feng flicked the ball past him effortlessly.
Then he used his left foot to shoot directly, and the ball rolled into the away team's goal from the bottom left corner.
After halftime, in the 71st minute, Sofia Levski made a mistake in midfield, and center-back Helmer Park passed the ball to Bess, who then lofted it to Wang Feng on the right.
After controlling the ball, Wang Feng glanced at the positioning of the players. With a quick thought, he sent a precise long pass to the left side of the penalty area. The pass almost spanned the entire field but found Aldridge's run on the left perfectly.
Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, Aldridge directly chipped the ball over him, and it went over the goalkeeper's head into the goal.
2-0! Wang Feng scored one and assisted another, securing Genk's victory!
Unfortunately, in injury time of the second half, Sofia Levski took advantage of Genk's relaxation and pulled one back, leaving some suspense for the tie.
In the 29th round of the Belgian Pro League, thanks to Wang Feng's goal in the 31st minute of the first half, Genk narrowly defeated Brussels 1-0. Anderlecht also won 1-0 against Brugge this round, maintaining their one-point lead.
In the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, Genk traveled to Bulgaria. Just 7 minutes into the game, Sofia Levski scored a goal, putting Genk on the brink of elimination.
But once again, Wang Feng stepped up. In the 37th minute, Wang Feng received the ball on the right side of the penalty area, used a step-over to shake off the defender, and then blasted a shot with his left foot into the net.
In the second half, in the 58th minute, Genk won the ball in their own half, Bess passed to the middle to Aldridge, Aldridge then lofted the ball to Wang Feng on the right.
After controlling the ball, Wang Feng cut inside the penalty area, faced with two defenders. He calmly dribbled past them with successive feints using both feet, then took a shot from a tight angle. The ball hit the diving goalkeeper and bounced into the net.
Wang Feng scored his second of the night! This was his 14th goal in the Europa League this season.
In the dying moments of the match, the home team didn't give up. With forward Willy Schum scoring a goal, the score became 2-2. However, Genk ultimately advanced with a 4-3 aggregate score.
Genk had made a historic breakthrough, reaching the Europa League semi-finals!
The morning in Genk was very quiet. Wang Feng came to the small lake near his home, enjoying the fresh air. It was the second day back from Bulgaria, and Wang Feng, unusually, took a day off from training camp.
Recently, his performance on the field had become more confident and competent. His physicality was no less than that of European adult players. All of this was the result of diligent training day and night.
Wang Feng didn't have the idea of slackening off because he knew that more severe challenges awaited him in the future. The top five leagues, and even the stage of the UEFA Champions League, where only the world's top players could compete.
However, after achieving the historic breakthrough in the Europa League with Genk, Wang Feng also felt relieved. It was not in vain that the club and the coach trusted him. So, he took a half-day off to relax outdoors.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l