"Yecheng will be subbing in for Pearson in the second half!"
As soon as Solskjær emerged from the locker room, he announced the substitution adjustment.
Yecheng took off his training vest, revealing the number 16 jersey on his back.
It wasn't his first choiceâjust what was leftâbut he liked the number since his birthday happened to fall on the 16th.
Of course, if he had to pick his absolute favorite, it would undoubtedly be the number 7.
After all, it was Beckham who introduced him to Manchester United. He wasn't a fan of the club per se, but he admired the man.
So, when Beckham moved to Real Madrid, Yecheng followed Los Blancos for a few seasons and even kept an eye on his stints at AC Milan, PSG, and the LA Galaxy.
In his previous life, Yecheng even spent a fortune collecting jerseys from every phase of Beckham's career.
Back to the match.
When Yecheng stepped onto the pitch, David Gill, watching from the stands, immediately went pale.
What was Ole thinking?
Didn't he know Yecheng was already notorious back in China?
Letting him play would only tarnish Manchester United's international reputation!
A player with no sense of national honor had no business representing Manchester United.
But since he was already on the field, there was nothing Gill could do as manager.
"Fine, it's just one game. After this, he's gone. Out of my sight for good!" Gill adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming coldly.
The match resumed.
With Yecheng subbing in for Pearson, he now partnered with Byrne.
But as the two crossed paths, Byrne muttered under his breath, "I'm not passing to you, yellow monkey."
Yecheng frowned slightly but didn't respond. He focused on defending instead.
Liverpool kicked off the second half with Sterling taking possession and immediately starting his dribble.
Sterling, at this stage in his career, had unparalleled technical skills but a glaring flaw: he was a ball hog.
Yecheng had noticed this during the first half. Sterling had taken at least seven shots, several of which came at the expense of better-positioned teammates.
Now the team revolved around him as the star player, and his stats masked his shortcomings.
As Sterling pushed forward, Yecheng teamed up with midfield partner Docherty to apply pressure.
Docherty hadn't participated in yesterday's intra-squad scrimmage as he was a regular starter for the U18s and had trained with the reserves instead.
One look from Yecheng was all Docherty needed to understand his intentions.
Sterling, now caught in their double team, had no choice but to pass the ball back.
Though they didn't steal the ball outright, delaying Liverpool's attack was a win for their defense.
Manchester United's first threatening attack of the half soon followed.
Byrne dropped back to receive the ball but ignored Yecheng, who was in open space and calling for it. Instead, he passed to Januzaj on the right wing.
Januzaj, however, was quickly closed down by Liverpool defender Simon and couldn't advance. Fortunately, Yecheng had already moved into position.
A quick diagonal pass found Yecheng between Liverpool's midfield and center-backs.
Without hesitation, Yecheng unleashed a thunderous strike.
With 75 shot accuracy and 80 shot power, he was confident in his shooting ability.
The ball streaked like lightning toward the bottom-right corner.
Liverpool's goalkeeper, Wehrlin, dived desperately but couldn't reach it.
Just as despair began to set in, the ball struck the post with a resounding "clang!"
It didn't bounce out of bounds, but Liverpool's defenders scrambled to clear it.
"What a shot!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"This post has no mercy!"
After being quiet most of the match, Scholes finally erupted with excitement.
Carragher, meanwhile, looked unsettled. As a former player, he recognized the skill in that shot.
First, there was the smart positioning. Yecheng found the gap between Liverpool's center-backs and started his run the moment Januzaj passed, avoiding an offside call.
Second, the decisiveness of the strike. He didn't wait for the keeper to close him down or for the defenders to converge.
Lastly, the power and precision of the shotâeverything about it was near perfect, except for a touch of bad luck.
Carragher, now a pundit, knew he had to be fair.
"I admit this black-haired kid has some ability, but no goal is no goal. Liverpool's still in the lead!"
Liverpool cleared the ball in haste, giving Manchester United a corner.
Januzaj and Yecheng exchanged a knowing glance, their minds in sync.
While the other United players moved into the box, Yecheng lingered just outside the penalty area.
It was a move straight out of their practice sessions.
"Bang!"
Januzaj delivered the corner, seemingly aiming for the crowd in the box, but the ball curved toward the edge of the penalty area.
Yecheng, who had been hovering outside, made a sudden burst forward. Meeting the ball mid-air, he struck it with a powerful volley.
The United players' jaws dropped in unison.
Solskjær's eyes widened on the sideline.
"I've seen this goal before!" he exclaimed.
Indeed, it was almost identical to the one Yecheng scored in training.
"Boom!"
Yecheng's foot connected with the ball's underside, sending it rocketing toward the top-left corner.
Wehrlin, partially screened by his defenders, reacted too late. By the time he saw the ball, it had already crossed the line.
"Clang!"
The ball hit the crossbar, but this time it rebounded downward, landing inside the goal.
Liverpool's players instinctively tried to clear it, but the goalkeeper had seen it clearly and pointed to the center circle.
"Goal stands!"
Ecstatic, Yecheng sprinted in celebration.
In the stands, however, David Gill frowned.
There was undeniable skill in that strike, but he shook his head regardless.
No matter how good Yecheng was, he was just a promising prospect. Compared to Manchester United's reputation, he was insignificant.
Besides, deeply ingrained prejudice lingered.
Even Dong Fangzhuo, a once-in-a-generation talent, had failed to establish himself at United. How could Yecheng, who had achieved nothing in two years of training, fare any better?
On the pitch, Yecheng embraced Januzaj tightly.
"Yecheng, I'll pass to you more often. Let's make it to the first team together!" Januzaj shouted excitedly.
"Deal! Let's go to the first team!" Yecheng roared back.
Little did Yecheng know, just minutes before his goal, Manchester United's official website had already released a statement:
"Official Announcement"
"Due to recent events involving academy player Yecheng's refusal to train with the Chinese U17 national team, resulting in his expulsion from the squad, Manchester United has suffered significant reputational damage. Effective immediately, the club has terminated its academy contract with Yecheng."
Before Yecheng's match had even ended, he had already been releasedâa first in football history!