Football: The immortal legend on the green field

I don’t know if it was because Shen Bin was resisting integrating with Neeskens, his dream was intermittent, time kept moving forward, and he never woke up. It was the next afternoon, at the Haarlem Athletic Training Base, the new head coach Michels stood on the sidelines supervising the players’ training.

Just last night, after Haarlem lost the fourth round of the league to Alkmaar at home 0-3, the team owner Horst announced the termination of the contract with the old coach Horn. The old coach could no longer lead the team. With only one point in four rounds, the team has come to the bottom of the standings. Not to mention striving for good results, it is now difficult to even stay in the league.

Michels, who had just returned from England, took over the coaching position of Hallam Athletic. He held a small notebook in his hand, which was Michels' habit. "Relegation is our highest goal, Van Rizek. I hope we can succeed in relegation."

Michels sighed in his heart while pressing the cap on the ballpoint pen. It's not that he feels there is no hope of relegation. After all, only one month has passed since the start of the season and there is still room for improvement. However, the timing of his arrival was really bad and the hole left by his predecessor was quite large.

The opponent in the next game is Ajax, the league leader and the city giant that is now in its heyday throughout Europe. The second-to-last team will travel to challenge the league leader.

But this is nothing. Just last night, the veteran player Collis suddenly announced his retirement. He was hit hard. The opponent's three goals were scored by breaking through the right side of his defense. Just like he said when he announced his retirement, "It's time to leave. I always refuse to admit my age. The game against Alkmaar taught me a lesson..."

"Van Rizek, is the inspection report from Bonn out yet?" Michels pressed the pen cap faster and faster.

The assistant coach could see the head coach's impatience and said hurriedly: "After a preliminary examination, the sprain is not serious and it is expected to recover in three weeks."

"Three weeks, which means he will miss at least four league games."

Michels frowned, feeling that Harlem Athletic was really not favored by the goddess of luck.

Looking at the players who were training in groups, Michels made a prompt decision: "Go, help me bring over the guy named Neeskens that the boss just signed this morning. Didn't the boss say he is a genius? From today on, he can train with the first team. How old is that kid?"

Although Van Rizek didn't have any great abilities, he knew how to seek benefits and avoid harm. The team had already changed three coaches, but he, the assistant coach, had never been cleared out. The old coach had just been fired that morning, and he knew everything about Neeskens. He knew that the boss valued this kid very much, so he knew everything about Neeskens. He answered without thinking, "John Neeskens, just had his 19th birthday."

19 years old, what a blooming age. I am going to take a 19-year-old kid to the East City to challenge the European hegemon Ajax. When Michels thought of this, he smiled bitterly.

I hope he doesn't make any fool of himself at Ajax's home ground.

When Neeskens was brought to the first-team training ground, he looked calm and did not seem excited at all. After a brief greeting with Michels, he ran into the field and started running laps with his future teammates.

The Amsterdam Arena, home of Ajax, will be renamed the Johan Cruyff Arena in fifteen years.

There are excellent fans here, and countless football superstars from all over the world have come out of here.

Now, in Shen Bin's eyes, the greatest arena in the Netherlands has lost its goddess-like glory and silence, and has been replaced by noise.

His first professional contract was signed between him and the owner of this stadium, but Shen Bin never stood there as the owner even once.

His passionate love for football finally allowed his soul to barely merge into Neeskens' body.

Sitting on the team bus, Shen Bin looked out the window. Even though he was calm, he was a little surprised at this moment.

Groups of Ajax fans walked forward arm in arm, holding flags or scarves in their hands, singing as they moved forward. Occasionally, a few fans of Haarlem Athletic could be seen, all waving and jumping vigorously at the team bus. One female fan was particularly eye-catching, her figure was really impressive, especially when she jumped, she attracted the attention of many male fans around her.

Looking at the majestic building in front of him, Shen Bin asked his companion Bruno, "How many fans can be accommodated here?"

"Fifty-eight thousand people, it's the largest football stadium in the Netherlands."

No matter how calm Shen Bin was, he still felt a little sad. If it weren't for the trick of fate, he might have faced the challenges of major European giants as a master.

What you cannot get will eventually be lost, but I can visit the holy land of Dutch football in my dreams, which is a irony to myself.

"Oh my god, this is a red card move!"

Alexander van Bellen, the Dutch national television broadcaster, shook his head.

Ajax vs. Haarlem, 0:0, the home team is in front and the away team is behind.

They were sixth in the league last season and now have to fight for relegation. It is the eighth minute of the game, and everything that is happening on the field makes Van Bellen feel in his heart that Haarlem is really unlucky, but as a neutral commentator, he still describes everything that is happening on the field in a passionate tone.

"The game was already in the eighth minute, and Haarlem had managed to withstand Ajax's fierce attack after the start. It must be said that their defense was well organized. According to statistics, Haarlem's young player Neeskens had made three wonderful clearances. This new player on the field became famous in one battle. I think the 19-year-old will have a bright future.

But football is a team sport. No matter how well an individual performs, he cannot stop his teammates from dragging him down. Just now, the right center back of Haarlem FC made a tackle outside the penalty area and his shoe studded directly onto the ankle of 20-year-old Cruyff, the rising star of Ajax. Cruyff still hasn't stood up yet. God, it looks really painful."

Ajax players surrounded the referee, trying to get an explanation and a red card for the brutal Haarlem defender, while Haarlem players pleaded with the referee, hoping that he would show mercy.

However, the referee obviously took out the red card from his pocket without any hesitation, and then said to Hoffman seriously: "Your action is very dangerous, please leave the field now."

On the bench of Haarlem Athletic, the newly appointed head coach Michels covered his eyes, obviously unable to believe what had just happened. Damn, the back line was already short of players, and now Hoffman was off the field, what was he going to do? Did he have a brain?

This is the Amsterdam Arena! The opponent is Ajax! If you touch those Ajax stars, the referee will focus on you. How dare he do such a big move!

Michels stood up from the bench with a stiff face, and looked at his bench with his hands on his hips.

He needed to make adjustments, and the referee urged Hoffman to leave the court as soon as possible, and then signaled to make substitutions as soon as possible.

Apart from the four players on the field, there are only two defenders left among the 18 registered players. Van der Sen is on the left, and right center back is not suitable for him. He also has the habit of heading, and there are too many hidden dangers in playing in the middle. The substitute reserved for the right side is 17-year-old Clayhock who was promoted from the youth team yesterday. It's crazy to hand over the right side defense to two kids who are less than years old.

Thinking of his children, Michels turned his gaze to the field again. During the time that Neeskens played, he made several rescues. On the defensive end, he did not perform like a pure full-back. His accurate prediction of the incoming ball always allowed him to get the ball before the opponent's forward.

A bold idea popped up in my mind, "Parrado, you go up and replace Hayes."

“But I’ve never played forward.”

"Who told you to play as a striker? You should just play as your usual right winger. Let Bastos retreat to play as a right back, Neeskens move to the middle as a central defender, and let the other central defender Carroll switch to man-marking. His task is to freeze Cruyff, the spearhead of Ajax. That's it, go ahead..."