Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 254 The First Best

"The set piece on the right will still be taken by Wei!"

Wei Lai stood on the right side of Brighton's penalty area. Looking towards the penalty area from here, the defense was still densely packed, making it difficult to find any effective space.

"Pass the ball to the player who is best at aerial duels!"

Wei naturally set his sights on Kakabanya. As a center-back, his task is not only to stabilize the defense, but also to contribute to the attack by winning corner kicks and set pieces.

Wei Lai had this idea, but then he suddenly saw Hendrick slowly running forward.

The guy kept looking at himself as he ran.

"Have the opportunity!"

Wei Lai immediately changed his mind and delivered a steady low cross to the rear.

"Wei Lai took the penalty, but instead of sending it directly into the penalty area, he passed it to Hendrick. Would Hendrick shoot? No! He continued to pass the ball, which came to Konrad Lechmann on the right flank. He then passed it back to the half-space, stretching Brighton's defense considerably!"

Wei Lai kept moving up and down in the right rib area, searching for new spaces.

But no matter how he ran, he still couldn't create a threatening opening.

"Tsk!"

Wei Lai clicked his tongue in slight impatience, his gaze turning towards Kostevich.

"Just get him out!"

Just as Wei Lai thought of this, he saw Diego Ruma run towards Kostevich and then move left and right beside him.

As the ball fell to Wei Lai's feet, Diego Ruma pulled back sharply.

"Pass the ball!"

Wei Lai immediately passed the ball forward.

Diego Ruma received the ball with his back to goal, twisting his entire body inwards, a movement that caused Kostevic to instinctively turn inwards as well.

But at that moment, Diego Ruma used the instep of his left foot to flick the ball in the opposite direction.

Swish!
Wei Lai charged forward again, grabbed the ball, and charged straight in.

"Wei Lai!!"

Duan Jiang stood up excitedly. He saw Wei Lai break through the penalty area and, along the right post of the goal, surge into the six-yard box.

The entire Amstel River Stadium fell silent.

Everyone watched this scene with bated breath.

Wei Lai charged into the penalty area; he had no time to observe.

He wasn't even sure where his teammates were positioned; the scene was extremely chaotic.

The entire field of vision consisted almost entirely of the opposing players and the goal!

When it breaks, it breaks!

Wei Lai knew that this opportunity could not be wasted; any adjustment could lead to the opponent pressing him and causing him to lose the chance to shoot.

The moment his left foot touched the ground, his left toe aimed at the left goalpost. Wei Lai twisted his waist and abdomen slightly, followed by his right foot, and poked the ball directly with his toe.

boom!
The ball was poked out, and he himself ran directly out of bounds due to inertia.

"Hahaha!"

Wei Lai, panting, turned his head to look at the goal.

Brighton's goalkeeper leaned against the goalpost with a frustrated expression, while the others looked up, looking helpless.

Inside the goal, the ball lay there quietly.

boom!!!!!!!!!!!--

The entire Amstel River Stadium suddenly erupted in cheers.

With a third goal in the 71st minute, they widened the score gap once again.

Wei Lai was involved in two goals in this match.

One goal and one assist!
"Wei! Wei! Wei!"

Dutch commentator Louis van Gaal jumped up excitedly, clutching his head: "What a fantastic guy! He's absolutely amazing! I thought one assist was the limit, but he scored again, and after entering the penalty area, he chose to poke the ball with his toe to help us extend our lead once more!"

"Since joining in January of this year, more than half a year has passed, but Wei is constantly improving! That's right! Everyone can see that he is improving at a visible rate!"

"My God! Guys, he's only 17! But he's already become an indispensable key player for Atlético Amsterdam. In eight rounds of league and European competitions, he has contributed two goals and six assists, averaging one goal contribution per game. How can we not be excited by such a performance!"

"Amsterdam fans, this young man from China is scoring goals for you in his own way, bringing you goal after goal feast. Cheer! Shout! Shout his name out loud!"

Wei!!! Come!!!

Throughout the entire Amstel River Stadium, tens of thousands of fans were excitedly chanting the same name.

Their pronunciation may not be accurate, but everyone can feel the excitement they convey.

At this moment, on European soil, in Amsterdam's home stadium, resounded the name of a Chinese person.

The camera focuses on a close-up of Wei Lai's face, with his hands raised high, revealing his excited expression.

The excitement of scoring a goal and the cheers of the fans stimulated Wei Lai's senses.

But soon, he was overwhelmed by his teammates.

"Wei Lai! Wei Lai! Wei Lai! A goal in the 71st minute, his second for Atlético Amsterdam, his performance is still outstanding."

Duan Jiang was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

That little guy who debuted in the Chinese Super League is now competing in European leagues.

He continues to perform exceptionally well for Dutch powerhouse Atlético Amsterdam.

How could this not excite him?

"Wei Lai's shot was very decisive. If he had hesitated even slightly, it would have been blocked by the Brighton players. But at this moment, he chose to believe in himself, just like that free kick in the U17 World Cup final that brought us our first U17 World Cup title!"

"Wei Lai! Well done!"

Liu Zhenghao tried his best to calm himself down, but he still felt his heart pounding violently.

At this moment, my emotions were extremely complex.

He was thinking about the current predicament of Chinese football, but at the same time he saw the thriving growth of new shoots.

Contradictory yet full of hope!
'Wei Lai! Wei Lai! I'm begging you!'

'About why I'm yelling like a monkey in the middle of the night!'

'Eight games, two goals and six assists—those stats are truly astonishing!'

'The key point is that Wei Lai is only 17 years old!'

'My God! Compared to his time at the U17 World Cup, Wei Lai has undergone an almost complete transformation!'

"That's right! Overall, it's been greatly improved, and some technical flaws have been fixed."

'Only European professional leagues can truly improve his skills!'

'But Wei Lai's rate of improvement is quite frightening!'

'They're not some weaklings, they're Brighton! A top Premier League team! And to score a goal and provide an assist! Incredible!'

'Musar arrived, and it seems he triggered some kind of switch; Wei Lai immediately took off!'

"To put it bluntly, it's Morton who knows how to use Wei Lai. The domestic coaches simply haven't figured out how to truly utilize Wei Lai."

"That's right. During Willie's time, Wei Lai's role was mostly to switch play; even getting an assist was a struggle, let alone the explosive performance he's showing now!"

The fans were having a heated discussion, while on the field, Wei Lai had retreated to his own half.

The third goal widened their lead once again.

This will allow them to play the remaining games with more ease.

Of course, this was Wei Lai's idea.

In the 75th minute, Brighton made their final substitution.

They deployed another winger in attack.

However, instead of substituting Mitsui Fuji, they substituted Adinelli.

Just eight minutes after the substitution, Atlético Amsterdam conceded a goal.

A breakthrough down the wing by 21-year-old Willian resulted in a cross that found Vickers, who scored the winning goal.

In the 83rd minute, Brighton scored again.

Amsterdam Athletic leads Brighton 3-2!
"The defense still has problems!"

Morton looked towards the pitch and rubbed his temples.

Atlético Amsterdam is a typical team with a strong attack but weak defense. It's not that they are severely unbalanced, but they're not exactly good either.

These problems weren't apparent when they played against weaker teams; they were able to withstand them.

However, these problems become apparent when they face strong teams.

But Mr. Morton didn't have many good options. He only had so many players, and he didn't have many good defenders to choose from. This was already the best of the best.

This lineup should be used until at least the winter break, when we can look into finding some new players and strengthen the defense.

As for funding, Mr. Morton wasn't too worried.

The club has made money recently, a lot of money.

Although he hadn't paid special attention to these things, he had heard that the club was making a lot of money from advertising and other commercial activities, which gave Mr. Morton the confidence to ask for money during the winter break.

After all, the club's will is now the same as the first team's.

The Champions League will be the key to their future!
Everything must serve the mission of qualifying for the Champions League!

boom!
On the field, Wei Lai launched a long, direct attack. He didn't care about the accuracy of the pass; he only hoped the ball would fly high and far so the game would end as soon as possible.

Now in stoppage time, Atlético Amsterdam is adopting a defensive posture as they try to secure the three points for victory.

However, Brighton's counterattack was indeed fierce.

Especially towards the final stretch, these guys were charging forward with all their might, almost overwhelming Atlético Amsterdam.

Fortunately, everyone retreated.

Wei Lai, Hendrick, and Reyessa formed the first line of defense, while the defenders held their positions and protected the area.

After repeatedly thwarting the opponent's attacks, Brighton finally managed one last shot, and the final whistle blew.

Beep beep beep!
Three whistles sounded, and the game ended.

In the second round of the 2027/2028 UEFA Europa League group stage, Atlético Amsterdam defeated Brighton 3-2 at home.

"call!"

Wei Lai plopped down on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's burned out!"

Wei Lai shook his head; this match was extremely tough.

Despite having a two-goal lead in the first half, Brighton scored on two consecutive adjustments, keeping the score very close until the final whistle.

They almost got held to a draw at home.

This was only sixth place in the Premier League last season; you can almost imagine how strong the top teams are.

If the Europa League is this difficult, what level must the Champions League, which is at the next level, be like?

"Well done, buddy!"

Dennis Chilburn came over, pulled Wei Lai up, and gave him a tight hug.

In this match, Wei Lai scored one goal and provided one assist, consistently delivering threatening balls from set pieces throughout the game.

It can be said that Wei Lai played a crucial role in determining the outcome of this match.

After saying this, Dennis Chilburn looked at Diego Ruma.

"You played very well too!"

Diego Ruma was somewhat surprised.

This was the first time he had received praise from his teammates.

Despite coming on as a substitute, he did everything he could.

The most crucial thing is not to be greedy for quick success and act rashly, but to calmly fulfill tactical responsibilities.

His breakthroughs down the wing created numerous opportunities for Atlético Amsterdam, while also generating many set pieces for Wei Lai.

This also significantly hampered Brighton's offensive.

"Let's go!"

Wei Lai patted his backside, got up, and walked towards the players' tunnel.

Reporters had already gathered around on both sides of the players' tunnel, eagerly conducting interviews.

When they saw Wei Lai approaching, they immediately swarmed over.

"Wei! We're from the Dutch Football Newspaper. Could we take a few minutes of your time?"

"We are the London Evening News, England. What is your assessment of this match?"

“Hey! Wei, we're from the Amsterdam Evening News, we're on our side, we…”

At this moment, someone suddenly walked in front of Wei Lai and separated the reporters.

"Sorry! Wei is not giving interviews at this time!"

Peschan stopped the reporters, then put his arm around Wei Lai's shoulder and walked into the players' tunnel.

Wei Lai felt a little uncomfortable.

It's not that he hasn't given interviews.

He gave many interviews during his time in the Chinese Super League and received special training for them.

But this is my first time here.

“There will be more and more of this in the future. This time it was Mr. Morton’s idea. He doesn’t want you to be overly scrutinized. You’re performing very well right now, and these media outlets are praising you. But once your form falters, they’ll immediately attack you!” Peschan looked at Wei Lai and smiled. “So, don’t take them seriously. Just focus on the game!”

Wei Lai nodded; he understood these principles.

Squeak!

The moment Wei Lai opened the door and stepped inside, he heard Conrad Lehmann's voice.

"Look who's here! Isn't he the MVP of the match?!"

Konrad Lehmann walked over with a smile and put his arm around Wei Lai's shoulder. "Buddy, I gave you all the limelight in this game. Next game, remember to give me an assist!"

Wei Lai turned his head; "If I help you out, will you treat me to Chinese food?"

Conrad Lehmann: "Why do you always want to eat Chinese food? I'll treat you to French food tonight. Damn! You're only 17!"

Conrad Lehmann shook his head in frustration. Sometimes he wanted to get to know Wei better, but he couldn't even go out for some fun.

Wei Lai is still a minor and cannot even touch alcohol, let alone anything else.

"Wei! Congratulations!"

"Your first best!"

"You did a fantastic job today!"

"come on!"

When Wei Lai passed by his teammates, they all greeted him proactively, actively maintaining their relationship.

This was something that had never happened before, but as Wei Lai's performance became more and more outstanding, he was gradually becoming a master in terms of assists.

Eight games, six assists—who wouldn't be envious?

Especially the forwards, not only the main players like Felix, Lehmann, and Robinson, but also the substitutes are trying their best to get along with Wei Lai.

For them, Wei Lai is an assist distributor; by getting along well with Wei Lai, they can get more scoring opportunities.

This is also why the midfield position is so sought after.

Whether you're a center forward or a winger, you still need to please the midfielders who have possession of the ball, not to mention teammates like Wei Lai who can generate a lot of assists.

Unless you reach the level of a core player like Konrad Lehmann, you'll still have to fawn over him.

In the evening, we took a bus back to the training base.

Mr. Morton did not give a post-match summary, after all, he still had a league match to play this weekend.

Wei Lai and Diego Ruma rode their electric scooter home in the cool night breeze.

Perhaps because of his outstanding performance, Wei Lai was in an exceptionally good mood.

boom! boom! boom!
In a simulated classroom, Wei Lai is conducting a course as a wanderer coach.

Three days ago, the class entered the second stage, which is the practical stage.

According to the Wanderers' coach, game reading can only be learned through games.

After gaining a general understanding of the elements of reading, the next step is to engage in a large number of competitions to continuously refine one's thinking and improve the quality of observation.

Wei Lai is currently playing in Serie A.

This is the third of the top five European leagues that Wei Lai has been involved in, following the English Premier League and La Liga.

Wei Lai, now dressed in a red and black striped jersey, occupies the position of coach for the Wanderers.

Here, he saw Coach Kaká and Coach Maldini.

“Focus!”

The voice of the Wanderer coach suddenly rang in Wei Lai's ears, and he quickly pulled his wandering thoughts back.

"Use your senses to feel the game from beginning to end—passes, expressions, tone of voice, and even subtle changes in movement. Open your eyes to the whole picture, and use your methods to create offensive opportunities for your teammates!"

Listening to the instructor's teachings, Wei Lai couldn't help but sigh.

It sounds difficult, and it's actually very difficult to do.

You can tell what those guys want by looking at their expressions!
You can hear something from their tone of voice – they're yelling and screaming!

Every now and then they would make some incomprehensible gestures, and every sentence was accompanied by a completely new gesture.

how?

Can't you speak without using your hands?
To be honest, Wei Lai still doesn't have any feelings about it and has no idea what the focus should be.

He also asked the Rogues coach about this, and the latter's answer was simple.

Let's play a match!
Play a lot of games!

Some things can't be explained in words; you can only experience them through competition.

The emotional changes at that moment, the rhythm changes over a certain period of time, and so on.
Wei Lai understood that this was likely a product of experience.

These are things that cannot be achieved in just one or two matches.

At the very least, it would require a thousand or even ten thousand hours of competition time.

So now he can only focus on playing the game.

He admits he's not that smart, and there's no shortcut; he can only play one game at a time, accumulate enough experience, understand how the game works, and then he might gradually figure it out.

(End of this chapter)