Zhang Xu's unusual gesture immediately caught the attention of all the fans present.
The fans around Zhang Xu's parents and Nicola realized that the two middle-aged people sitting beside them had the same skin color as Zhang Xu and the man bore a resemblance to Zhang Xu. Moreover, judging from the direction of Zhang Xu's shout, it was clearly aimed at them.
Could these two be Zhang Xu's parents? It seemed very likely!
Soon, fans began to confirm this fact with them.
"Hi, are you Zhang Xu's parents?"
"Hello, is Zhang Xu your son?"...
Faced with the barrage of questions from fans, Zhang Xu's parents could only turn to Nicola for help.
Nicola reassured Zhang Xu's parents with a smile and gently replied, "Indeed, this gentleman and lady are Zhang's parents!"
"Wow!" Upon receiving Nicola's confirmation, the surrounding fans immediately erupted with excitement: "Your son is fantastic! We all love him!"
"Congratulations! You have the best son in the world!"
"Welcome to our Woluwe White Star's Stade stadium! Everyone here is a loyal fan of your son!"
"Please accept my respect and gratitude for your son Zhang!"
Through Nicola's somewhat awkward and even incoherent translations, Zhang Xu's parents genuinely felt the White Star fans' support and appreciation for their son, filling them with immense pride and joy.
This is our son!
The excited father felt an urge to announce it to the whole world.
At this moment, Zhang Xu's father, who had been skeptical about his son's professional football career, finally let go of his last reservations.
"This beautiful lady, you must be Zhang's girlfriend, right? You're very pretty and a great match for our Zhang!" Noticing Nicola's affectionate behavior with Zhang Xu's parents, the fans became curious about her identity.
"Definitely! Our outstanding Zhang should have such a beautiful girlfriend!"
"Zhang has a girlfriend? Oh no, what about my daughter? I was planning to match her with Zhang!"
"Your daughter? Are you kidding? She should be matched with an octopus, not Zhang!"
"What did you say! Is my daughter that bad?"
"Of course not, but I still want to ask, does your daughter weigh over 300 pounds?"
Hearing the fans' speculation, Nicola blushed, not refuting but instead holding Zhang Xu's mother's arm tighter.
Nicola's response, coupled with her blushing and the way she clung to Zhang Xu's mother, practically confirmed her relationship with Zhang Xu.
The stadium's announcer, Gross, noticed Zhang Xu's parents and Nicola as soon as Zhang Xu shouted to them. After confirming their identities with the staff, the big screen in the stadium showed images of Zhang Xu's parents and Nicola.
"Dear fans," Gross's announcement echoed through the stadium, "today, the great Zhang has brought his parents to our stadium. Let's give a warm welcome and blessings to Zhang's parents with our applause!"
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause, and even Zhang Xu and his teammates paused their warm-up training to join in the clapping.
Zhang Xu's parents, seeing everyone looking and applauding them, understood the gesture and bowed in gratitude.
"Of course, we also have a special way to welcome Zhang's beautiful little girlfriend!" Gross didn't miss the opportunity to include Nicola.
Strange whooping sounds filled the stadium as a unique welcome for Nicola.
"Now, our players have finished their warm-up and are heading back to the dressing room. After final tactical instructions from Coach Ma Zu, they will officially enter the field at 3 PM to start the game!"
"Let's look at today's starting lineup. Out of courtesy, hehe, let's start with the visiting team - SV Rosler: Goalkeeper Dimitri, defenders Nick, Bruce, Berg... Oh, they are using a 3-5-2 attacking formation! Do they plan to play an offensive game against us at our Stade stadium? Ha, looks like we have an exciting game ahead!"
"Now, let's see the lineup of our great White Star team: Goalkeeper Kevin, defenders Thomas, Alexander, Rosario, midfielder and captain Driss, and our lovely - Zhang!"
Gross paused deliberately when mentioning Zhang Xu, then shouted loudly, followed by the fans' roar and applause.
"And our midfielders Gil, Devin, Vincent, and of course, our forwards Henry and Greg!"
"The game is about to begin! The players are entering the field... Ah, the first one out is Zhang! Oh my God, he's wearing the captain's armband!"
Gross was right. Today, Zhang Xu indeed wore the captain's armband, partly because his parents were watching the game, and partly because of his sunny disposition and good rapport with teammates. Everyone accepted Zhang Xu as the on-field captain. Also, since joining the team, Zhang Xu had been the hardest working player, with rapidly improving skills. His current abilities surpassed all other players on the team.
Regardless of who was the captain on the field, seeing Zhang Xu enter first, the fans gave him the warmest applause and cheers. The entire stadium echoed with shouts of "Zhang!"... "Xu!"
This calling was a special treatment for Zhang Xu by the White Star team. Due to the complexity of pronouncing Chinese, fans simply split Zhang Xu's name into two syllables - first shouting "Zhang," then "Xu," to fully pronounce his name.
Zhang Xu's mother laughed at the fans' peculiar pronunciation.
Zhang Xu, serving as the captain for the first time, handled his duties with composure and proficiency, including lining up the team, exchanging flags, and the coin toss.
Zhang Xu maintained his position as a defensive midfielder but moved slightly forward, with Driss falling back. This meant Driss handed over the midfield core role to Zhang Xu!
This change was a tactical trial. Coach Ma Zu had seen Zhang Xu's increasingly outstanding performance and wanted to try him in the midfield core position, especially since his parents were visiting and the opponent was weaker.
The game began with a whistle.
As the match kicked off with the referee's whistle, White Star immediately got into their rhythm. The ball moved smoothly from Henry to Greg and then to Devin, who cleverly let it run through, darting forward to create space.
Zhang Xu, in possession, began to advance with a calculated pace, surveying the field and his teammates' positioning. When an opponent's forward approached to press him, Zhang Xu, who usually opts for a quick pass, changed his approach. This time, he performed a simple yet effective stop-and-go move, swiftly bypassing the opponent's forward. This maneuver, though not overly elaborate, was efficient in creating space and drew appreciative applause from the fans.
Having evaded the forward, Zhang Xu found himself facing two midfielders. Opting not to hold onto the ball, he executed a well-timed chip pass to Gil on the right. Gil's response was rapid; he sprinted along the sideline, displaying both speed and control. As a midfielder from the opposition closed in, Gil used a deft hook turn to push the ball back to the center, skillfully maintaining possession under pressure.
Receiving the ball again, Zhang Xu immediately shifted it to Devin on the left and then made a strategic run, cutting through the space between midfield and defense. Devin, recognizing the play, delivered an accurate pass to Zhang Xu, who used his left foot to control the ball and then pulled it with his right, steadying himself for a powerful strike.
The actual strike was a blend of technique and brute force. Zhang Xu struck the lower half of the ball with the instep of his right foot. Hitting the ball's bottom, he imparted an upward force, causing it to rise rapidly towards the goal. His leg followed through with the motion, ensuring maximum power was transferred to the ball.
The shot traveled at a high velocity, covering thirty-five yards almost instantly, and aimed precisely at the top right corner of the goal. This placement choice made the shot even more challenging for the goalkeeper to intercept. The sheer speed and trajectory of the ball left little time for SV Rosler's goalkeeper to react effectively.
"Bang!"
SV Rosler's goalkeeper, caught off guard by the velocity and distance of the shot, struggled to react. As he raised his hands in a desperate attempt to save, the ball struck the crossbar with a loud:
"Thud!"
And rebounded out of play.
Though the shot didn't result in a goal, its sheer power and audacity shifted the dynamics on the field. The SV Rosler players, who now looked at Zhang Xu with a newfound sense of caution.