Chapter 208 – Five Goals to Open the Season! A Scoring Feast! Bayswater Chinese Youth Academy's Ultimate Champions!
August 14, afternoon. Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
Opening day of the 2010/11 Premier League season—Bayswater Chinese away to Sunderland.
Pre-match, inside the home team's dressing room.
"Do you remember what we did in this stadium last season?"
Just before kick-off, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce gave his final motivational talk.
His deep, resonant voice echoed through the locker room like a war drum.
The Sunderland players surrounded their manager, eyes burning with focus, like knights gathered around their king.
"We almost brought down Bayswater Chinese and Manchester United here. We made Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and City all struggle in our house!"
"We used iron will and molten passion to make every visitor feel the terror of the Stadium of Light—they all left with respect in their hearts!"
"You, all of you, are the Sons of Light the fans chant about. Today, in front of 48,000 of our people, throw your fiercest punches at our enemies!"
Bruce's slightly overweight frame shook with every word and gesture, but his presence radiated power.
"Today, here again, a brand-new season begins."
"Our opponent is a so-called powerhouse—but so what?"
"We'll use this match to show them—this is our land!"
"Let those bastards go back to London with nothing!"
That last line sent the already fired-up Sunderland squad into a frenzy. It was as if they'd been injected with pure adrenaline.
Bruce was extremely pleased with his carefully prepared speech.
He stood at the door, sending each player out one by one.
Once the last man had gone, Bruce followed, head held high.
He had been preparing for this game for a long time.
The moment he saw the fixture list and learned they'd host Bayswater Chinese on opening day, he and his staff had been planning nonstop.
Now the drums of war had begun to beat.
…
The match was about to begin.
Referee Anthony Taylor had his whistle at his lips, glancing at his watch.
The teams were lined up.
Sunderland wore their red-and-white striped kits.
Bayswater Chinese were in their sandy-gold away shirts.
Both sides could feel the tension—it was the season opener.
Especially for Toni Kroos, making his Premier League debut.
He'd been preparing for this day for weeks, studying English football intensely.
He knew how fast the pace would be, how little time he'd have on the ball.
He'd need to stay sharp, know where the ball was going before he even received it.
A good start is half the battle.
He had to perform.
Naturally, that brought pressure.
But then—he felt a calm, reassuring glance from his side.
Captain Modrić. His partner.
No worries. We've got your back.
That's what Modrić had told him before kickoff.
Now, seeing that glance again, Kroos smiled, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind.
But his very first impression?
The fire in the eyes of the Sunderland players.
This would not be easy.
The plan was to start fast, score early, avoid being dragged into a physical grind.
Last season, it wasn't until the dying moments that they scored here.
Kroos shook off the thought.
Behind him, at the goal line, Courtois was calm as ever, playing with his gloves like it was just a training session.
Maybe it helped that he wasn't under the same spotlight.
Kroos was replacing fan favorites Ramsey and Rakitić—he felt that pressure.
Courtois finally got his gloves set just as Anthony Taylor's whistle pierced the air.
With 48,000 fans roaring, the match kicked off!
…
Lewandowski tapped the ball to Gareth Bale, who quickly played it back to Matić deep in midfield.
As the ball left the center circle, Bale and Lewandowski sprinted forward.
Sunderland immediately pressed.
Bruce had brought in young striker Campbell from Manchester United and was also using Danny Welbeck on loan.
Now, with Darren Bent and Campbell up front, he had two absolute speedsters—daggers aimed straight at Bayswater Chinese's defense.
Behind them, Lee Cattermole and a young Jordan Henderson pushed high to join the press.
The goal: disrupt Bayswater Chinese's rhythm right from kickoff.
Matić received the ball—and was instantly swarmed.
He turned and passed back to Pepe.
With the center-backs spreading wide, Pepe controlled—but Bent was already charging in.
Pepe turned and laid it off to the keeper.
Campbell darted in toward Courtois.
The Belgian calmly passed to Thiago Silva, who had dropped in for support.
Sunderland had already pushed their entire midfield and attack line high up the pitch.
Thiago Silva was surrounded, with no obvious outlet.
Just as he struggled to find a target, a figure darted back into space, raising his hand.
Toni Kroos.
The German's words were still broken, but football was the universal language.
Silva slipped the ball to Kroos, just past Campbell's pressure.
It looked risky.
The home crowd rose to cheer.
They loved this energy. This fight.
But suddenly—they went silent.
Kroos had dropped into a "no man's land" on the right side, just outside the penalty area.
Sunderland were playing a 4-4-2 and had committed both strikers and midfielders forward to press.
This moment was brief—but for Kroos, it was enough.
He stopped the ball with his left, turned smoothly, and glanced up.
He had already assessed the pitch on the way back—now he just needed to confirm.
After a quick touch forward, Kroos stepped into the ball and struck a long-range pass with his right foot.
A soaring switch. A laser-guided missile.
The ball flew at blistering speed from just outside Bayswater Chinese's box, arcing past the halfway line, soaring over Sunderland's defensive third, and dropping at the edge of the Black Cats' penalty area on the right side.
And in the exact moment the pass left the foot, every fan in the stadium could clearly see two lightning-quick, sand-colored blurs streaking forward…
Three red-and-white striped shirts scrambled to chase them down.
From midfield to Sunderland's penalty box, just a few dozen meters of space somehow felt like miles to the crowd.
No matter how hard 1.91-meter Bramble ran, he was never going to catch the Little Tiger.
Walcott got there first, bringing the ball down just outside the box with a deft touch.
Bramble tried to muscle him off the ball—he even reached out to pull him back.
But Walcott had already entered the box with the ball under control, and Bramble didn't dare risk a foul.
He gave Walcott a slight push from behind, but the winger kept his balance, surged forward, and met the dropping ball with a vicious strike.
The shot flew over Mignolet's outstretched hands and slammed into the net.
"GOAL!!!"
"Theo Walcott opens the scoring!"
"Just 18 seconds in, Bayswater Chinese have struck first at the Stadium of Light!"
"An incredibly quick goal!"
"And the creator? The new summer signing—Toni Kroos!"
"What an unbelievable pass!"
"He picked out his target from 70 meters away—absolutely pinpoint!"
"Walcott's first touch was perfect. Bramble didn't dare make contact."
"And the finish—composed, clinical!"
"1–0!"
"According to the live stats, that pass traveled exactly 70 meters!"
"Reminiscent of Rui Costa's long balls during his AC Milan days!"
"You have to credit both the goal and the assist."
"Kroos, just 20 years old, has been outstanding since joining. His vision and precision on long passes are lethal."
"This will be one of Bayswater Chinese's deadliest weapons this season!"
The live feed cut to the touchline.
Yang Cheng had leapt into the air, pumping his right fist in triumph.
Meanwhile, Steve Bruce stood in front of the home bench, arms raised in frustration—at a total loss for words.
18 seconds. A goal conceded already.
What was there to say?
Toni Kroos's long ball, paired with the raw pace of Bale and Walcott—it was unstoppable.
…
With the early goal, Bayswater Chinese's confidence soared.
Sunderland, rattled by the quick strike, lost composure.
The momentum swung completely as the visitors launched wave after wave of attack.
In the 11th minute, Lewandowski received a pass from Bale at the edge of the box, turned sharply, and slipped a horizontal ball into space.
Modrić ran onto it, unmarked on the right side of the penalty area, and calmly rifled it past Mignolet.
2–0!
Six minutes later, in the 17th minute, Kroos, from the left side of midfield, swung another long diagonal ball to the right.
Piszczek brought it down and passed to Walcott, who cut inside and squared it.
Lewandowski struck it first time, but Mignolet held it well.
Shot was too central.
But just five minutes after that, Bayswater Chinese won the ball in midfield and launched a blistering counter.
Modrić and Lewandowski exchanged a dazzling one-two, and the Croatian sold a dummy before slipping a brilliant outside-foot pass into space.
Walcott timed his run perfectly, beat the offside trap, and raced into the box one-on-one.
GOAL.
3–0.
It was only the 23rd minute.
Pre-match speeches about pride and glory now felt hollow.
After conceding three, Sunderland snapped.
Their tackles grew harder and dirtier.
First, Cattermole fouled Modrić.
Then, Richardson, formerly of Manchester United, took out Walcott—both were booked.
And in the 43rd minute, Cattermole again fouled Lewandowski, pulling him down from behind after being spun around.
Referee Anthony Taylor showed a second yellow.
Cattermole sent off.
From that moment on, the match was effectively over.
…
After halftime, Bayswater Chinese didn't slow down.
In the 62nd minute, Bale burst down the left, cut inside, and sent a cross into the box.
Lewandowski arrived first and calmly slotted it home.
4–0.
Sunderland went into damage control.
But it was too late.
The final score: Bayswater Chinese 4 – 0 Sunderland.
…
A loss and a red card—Steve Bruce was furious post-match.
He criticized referee Anthony Taylor, claiming the second yellow was too harsh.
But Sky Sports, The Times, and other media outlets disagreed.
They felt both yellows were well-deserved, and Taylor had already shown restraint.
The Premier League's opening round had its fair share of drama.
The curtain-raiser was at White Hart Lane.
Redknapp's Tottenham drew 0–0 at home against Ancelotti's Manchester City.
A surprising result.
City fielded their strongest lineup:
Ibrahimović up top, with Tevez and Kaká behind him.
But even that trio couldn't break down Ledley King and Michael Dawson.
As Yang Cheng often said—Ledley King is one of the most underrated center-backs in football.
His only issue was injuries.
At Stamford Bridge, Hiddink's Chelsea annihilated newly promoted West Bromwich Albion 6–0.
Drogba scored a hat-trick. Eto'o added a brace.
It looked like a thrashing, but the match truly unraveled between the 55th and 68th minute, when West Brom conceded three quick goals.
With a shaky start in the first half, the Premier League debutants quickly learned how brutal the league can be.
At Anfield, Liverpool drew 1–1 with Arsenal.
A bloody battle.
Each team had a man sent off—one in first-half stoppage time, the other in second.
Liverpool led early, but their red card shifted the tide.
Arsenal, with a man advantage, launched wave after wave and equalized late.
But in stoppage time, Koscielny got sent off too.
A dramatic, hard-fought draw.
Manchester United, meanwhile, comfortably beat Newcastle 3–0 at Old Trafford.
Still, the biggest upset?
Wigan, at home, were thrashed 0–4 by newly promoted Blackpool.
A small shocker—and a big debut statement from the seaside club.
But little did they know...
The Premier League's cruelty had only just begun.
After being widely praised for their opening day performance, Blackpool traveled to the Emirates in Round 2 of the Premier League to face Arsenal.
The result?
The same Blackpool that smashed Wigan 4–0 in their debut were smashed 6–0 by Arsenal.
Arshavin netted a hat trick, and Benzema added two more.
Wenger's team vented all the frustration from their opening draw with Liverpool in brutal fashion.
Even more unbelievable: after losing 0–4 to Blackpool in the first round, Wigan returned home and then suffered an even worse defeat—0–6 to Chelsea.
Even Hiddink couldn't believe it.
12 goals in two games? That was unheard of.
Since when had one of his teams been so ruthless in attack?
Whether it was West Brom or Wigan, neither could withstand Chelsea's relentless offensive barrage.
Manchester United, meanwhile, were held to a 2–2 draw away at Fulham.
Ferguson was absolutely furious.
But the stars of that match were Brede Hangeland and Nani.
In the 84th minute, Hangeland scored an own goal to put United 2–1 ahead.
Two minutes later, Nani missed a penalty.
Then in the 89th, Hangeland redeemed himself, heading past Van der Sar to equalize.
Ancelotti's Manchester City beat Mancini's Liverpool 3–0 at home thanks to a brace from Tevez and a goal from Kaká.
The key moment? Kaká's 13th-minute opener.
This time, the Brazilian didn't follow the path of his previous career.
Despite picking up an injury before the World Cup, he had recovered well, played in South Africa, and then rested all summer.
Now, fully fit, he was back to his best.
As for Yang Cheng's Bayswater Chinese, they hosted Allardyce's Blackburn.
A long-time rival.
Ever since their falling-out last year, Yang and Allardyce had not been on good terms.
That was partly due to agent Mark Curtis's whispering in Allardyce's ear.
Yang didn't pay it much attention. He never cared much for Allardyce to begin with.
But his players were clearly fired up by the comments Allardyce made pre-match.
From kickoff, they were intensely aggressive.
Just 73 seconds in, Bayswater Chinese opened the scoring.
Marcelo, pushing high from left back, whipped in a low cross to the near post.
Bale flicked on with his head, and Lewandowski, lurking in the six-yard box, stabbed it home.
1–0!
Just like the opening round—another dream start.
And they didn't let up.
In the 22nd minute, they executed a beautiful move down the right.
Matić threaded a ball into Modrić, who exchanged a slick one-two with Walcott, before sliding the English winger through.
Walcott finished cleanly.
2–0!
Just five minutes later, under high pressing, Chimbonda misplayed a pass on the left.
Lewandowski pounced near the penalty spot and finished past Robinson.
3–0!
A brace for the Polish striker!
In the 32nd minute, Bale drew a foul on the left to win a free kick.
Modrić delivered, and Pepe headed home from the edge of the six-yard box.
4–0!
Wembley was in absolute chaos.
And it was only the first half hour!
After the break, Bayswater Chinese went right back on the attack.
In the 47th minute, Kroos sent a long diagonal ball to the right.
Lewandowski received it, passed to Piszczek, who found Walcott, who teed it up for Lewandowski again.
The striker cut across the top of the box and curled a shot into the top corner.
5–0!
Hat trick complete.
Just two minutes later, Kroos slipped a through ball into the left channel.
Bale, in his signature zone, drilled it into the far corner.
6–0!
Later, Modrić and Lewandowski combined again.
The Pole played a perfect pass into Walcott, who was through on goal.
But Robinson rushed out and smothered it.
In the 62nd minute, Walcott squared it from the right to Lewandowski inside the six-yard box.
He smashed it in—his fourth of the match.
7–0!
Then in the 70th minute, Modrić fed him again.
Lewandowski beat Nelsen, cut inside, and scored from a tight angle.
8–0!
FIVE goals.
Lewandowski joined a legendary club.
Wembley turned into a full-blown festival.
No one had expected such a one-sided slaughter.
Least of all Allardyce, whose team had just beaten Everton 1–0 in the opener and were full of confidence.
But in London, they were utterly humiliated by Yang Cheng's side.
"This is only the third time in Premier League history a player has scored five goals in a single match."
"The first was Andy Cole in United's 9–0 demolition of Ipswich in 1995."
"The second was Alan Shearer in Newcastle's 8–0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday in 1999."
"Now, Lewandowski has joined that elite list."
Even after scoring five, Lewandowski didn't stop running.
He still chased every ball, still hunted for more.
In the 81st minute, after Bayswater won the ball in their own half, Marcelo carried it forward and passed laterally.
Lewandowski threaded a ball to Bale, who surged into the box and finished again.
9–0!
The stadium lost its mind.
Such lopsided dominance was rare in English football.
Even in the 83rd and 89th minutes, Bayswater had more chances.
Pepe's header hit the post.
Walcott crossed from the right, and Lewandowski's header was somehow saved by Robinson.
Final score: 9–0!
Bayswater Chinese just missed hitting double digits.
And Lewandowski narrowly missed making Premier League history—no one had ever scored six in a single game.
…
In some ways, Round 1 of the Premier League was fairly standard.
There were big wins—Chelsea's 6–0, United's 3–0, Bayswater Chinese's 4–0 over Sunderland.
But 26 goals in one round was a little underwhelming.
Opening rounds are usually slow.
But Round 2 changed everything.
44 goals in a single matchday—a new record since the league expanded to 20 teams.
10 matches.
Bayswater Chinese, Arsenal, and Chelsea all blew their opponents away.
Sky Sports called it:
"The most insane goal-fest in Premier League history!"
And leading the way?
Bayswater Chinese—13 goals in two matches.
Right behind them?
Hiddink's Chelsea—12 goals in two matches.
The two West London clubs were the only Premier League teams with a perfect record after three rounds.
And what's more, neither had conceded a single goal.
This sparked intense discussion across the media.
Many believed Chelsea, after clearing out deadwood and promoting youth, had somehow emerged even stronger.
As for Bayswater Chinese, the introduction of Toni Kroos had made their midfield flow like never before.
It was a subtle but profound difference.
As pundit Alan Hansen said on his show after the match:
"Yang Cheng's team is, by far, the most fluid, most creative, and most dominant side in the Premier League right now. Their midfield is simply breathtaking."
"Whether it was the first match against Sunderland or this home game against Blackburn, they kept creating wave after wave of chances, feeding their front line."
"So far, no Premier League manager has figured out how to shut down Bayswater Chinese's midfield."
"Maybe next round, Bolton should consider a total defensive lockdown. It won't be pretty, but it might be the best shot at stopping them."
Hansen also predicted that the attacking quartet of Bale, Walcott, Lewandowski, and Di María would be the most dangerous front line in the Premier League this season.
"That razor-sharp frontline will give opponents endless headaches."
But as it turned out, Hansen was wrong.
…
August 29, noon – Premier League Round 3.
Bolton hosted Bayswater Chinese at the Reebok Stadium.
Owen Coyle stuck with their signature 4-4-2, setting up a disciplined block.
But just four minutes in, Bayswater broke through.
Modrić and Lewandowski exchanged a brilliant one-two at the edge of the area, with the Polish striker breaking behind the line for a one-on-one with Jääskeläinen.
He missed by inches—but it was a warning.
In the 11th minute, Bale stole the ball from Steinsson in midfield, surged down the left, and whipped in a cross.
Lewandowski was there.
Cool finish. 1–0.
Bolton's defense lasted only 11 minutes.
Bayswater Chinese kept pressing.
The hosts were pinned deep, reduced to pure defense.
In the 41st minute, Kroos delivered a diagonal pass from the left side of the final third, finding Walcott charging in on the right.
Walcott sent it back across goal.
Bale arrived at the far post—header, goal.
2–0.
After halftime, they came out firing again.
In the 47th minute, Modrić lofted a clever pass over the top.
Lewandowski's first-time shot was saved, but Walcott was there to clean it up.
3–0.
In the 74th minute, Kroos hit another long pass.
Walcott's shot was parried, but Lewandowski couldn't reach the rebound.
Modrić, arriving late, calmly slotted home.
4–0.
All four attacking players had now scored.
The final whistle blew: Bayswater Chinese 4 – 0 Bolton, away from home.
Sky Sports praised their attack as relentless and deadly.
Three matches.
17 goals scored. Zero conceded.
It was the best start Yang Cheng had ever made in the Premier League.
Sky even speculated:
"If they maintain this form after the international break and into the Champions League, nobody in England will be able to stop them."
Elsewhere in Round 3:
Arsenal beat Blackburn 2–1 away.Chelsea defeated Stoke City 2–0 at home.Manchester United beat West Ham 3–0 at Old Trafford.Liverpool crushed West Bromwich Albion 5–0 at Anfield.
Poor West Brom—11 goals conceded in just three games.
Welcome back to the Premier League.
Manchester City edged Sunderland 1–0 on the road.
…
The day before Round 3, UEFA held its annual Champions League group stage draw and awards ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Since Bayswater Chinese weren't nominated for any UEFA awards this year, and with a league match incoming, Yang Cheng didn't attend.
Van der Sar won Best Goalkeeper.Vidić was named Best Defender.Fàbregas won Best Midfielder.Rooney won Best Forward.Vidić also took the Player of the Year award.
It was a fitting reflection of last season's Champions League.
Manchester United's defense carried them to the title.
Wenger's side fell short—a pity, really.
But this year's group draw delivered plenty of drama.
Manchester City, making their UCL debut, were placed in Pot 4.
A clear echo of Bayswater's early years.
The other three English clubs—Bayswater Chinese, United, and Arsenal—were all top seeds.
That meant City were likely headed into a group of death—unless they drew Lyon.
And then came the bombshell:
City landed in a group with AC Milan and Real Madrid.
When the draw was announced, there was shock—then realization.
Of course UEFA would do this.
Ancelotti vs. his former club. Mourinho's Madrid in the mix. Drama guaranteed.
Yang Cheng was ready for the fireworks.
As for Bayswater?
Their group wasn't exactly easy—but manageable.
Shakhtar Donetsk from Pot 2Ajax from Pot 3Žilina from Pot 4
Bayswater were clear favorites.
Failure to advance would be a major upset.
Still, there was one issue:
They would have to play in Donetsk in November.
Ukrainian winters are no joke.
Even so, the draw was decent.
…
After Round 3, international players departed for national team duty.
Yang Cheng shifted his attention to Nice's progress in Ligue 1.
After beating Valenciennes in the opener, they edged Lorient 2–1 away.
Not a strong opponent, but still a tight win.
Then they returned home and beat Nancy 2–0.
Three straight wins put them top of the Ligue 1 table for a brief moment.
In Round 4, they drew 1–1 away at Lille.
That was Koeman's first real test as Nice manager.
Lille were one of the stronger Ligue 1 sides, and to come away with a draw was respectable.
Heading into the international break, Nice were undefeated with 3 wins and 1 draw, sitting second in the table, just behind Toulouse, who had won all four matches.
The defending champions Marseille, once expected to contend, sat 10th after four rounds.
Lille were 11th, Paris Saint-Germain 12th.
And Lyon—once the undisputed king of France—were down in 17th.
Exactly as Yang Cheng had said before: before PSG's Qatari takeover, Ligue 1 was little more than a disorganized brawl.
At times, it even looked like they might be overtaken by the Portuguese or Dutch leagues.
Meanwhile, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey were throwing money around recklessly, piling pressure on Ligue 1.
That's why the French were desperate for Qatari capital.
In such a chaotic environment, whoever could build a stable team structure would gain the upper hand in Ligue 1.
For now, Yang Cheng put Nice out of his mind and stepped out of the office.
There was a small road between the first-team training center and the youth academy, but traffic was light.
Accompanied by Brian Kidd, Dan Ashworth, and Mike Rigg, Yang Cheng headed to the academy.
This had become his habit.
Whenever time allowed, he liked to walk around the youth academy to check on the development of players he was keeping an eye on.
It was afternoon.
As Yang Cheng arrived at the training pitches, it didn't take long to notice something odd on one of the fields.
The group of seven- to nine-year-olds weren't training—they were crowded around in a circle, shouting excitedly.
It looked like they were watching something amazing.
Yang Cheng and the others walked quickly over and stood behind the group of kids.
Inside the circle, two little players were locked in a one-on-one duel.
Back and forth they went—trying to dribble past each other, chasing back on defense.
The rest of the kids shouted encouragement, cheering loudly for each move.
Yang Cheng immediately recognized one of them—it was Jude Bellingham.
But who was the other boy?
The two kids on the field were fully locked in, clearly fired up.
The noise from their teammates had only fueled the fire—neither wanted to lose.
"Come on, Jude! Show the new kid who's really the king of Bayswater Chinese's U8 squad!"
Hearing that, Yang Cheng nearly burst out laughing.
"We have a 'king' in our U8 squad now?" he chuckled.
Brian Kidd and Dan Ashworth both laughed out loud.
Young players were always fiery, full of energy, constantly comparing themselves to one another.
"This kind of thing actually builds competitiveness and drive," Ashworth explained with a smile.
Yang Cheng didn't mind at all.
When kids played football, imitation was their favorite thing to do.
They would copy the moves of the stars they admired most.
These days, the most imitated names were Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo, Zidane, Henry, Iniesta, Bergkamp...
What surprised Yang Cheng was that the two kids were clearly mimicking pros, throwing out tricks like stepovers, elastico, roulettes, Marseille turns...
It was quite the show.
One kid used a stepover—the other answered with one immediately.
It was as if they were saying, "Whatever you can do, I can do too!"
Yang Cheng had seen plenty of this at the academy before.
But as he kept watching, something felt... different.
"When did we recruit someone who can go toe-to-toe with Bellingham like this?"
Yang Cheng didn't know.
Neither did Brian Kidd.
All eyes turned to Dan Ashworth.
"I've been busy with things in Nice lately," Ashworth said, "but Matt mentioned it—he's a kid from an immigrant family. Loads of talent. Missed the main trial but was invited to come in for testing and ended up staying."
"He's also seven, just like Jude, but after a few days of training, it was clear the U7 level wasn't challenging enough, so we moved him up to U8 with Jude."
Yang Cheng nodded.
There were plenty of very talented kids in the younger age groups.
Even players like Bellingham and Sancho, though outstanding, still had competition within Bayswater Chinese's academy.
But growing from youth talent into a professional—or even a star—was an incredibly long and difficult journey.
Anything could happen—injuries, a change in mindset, family issues.
Even those who made it into the elite youth setups still faced endless risks.
Take height, for example.
A kid could grow suddenly and lose the coordination that once made him special. He might lose touch, timing, or confidence.
In short, there were too many unknowns.
So Yang Cheng wasn't surprised to see someone who could match Bellingham stride for stride.
Of course, that was because this was Bayswater Chinese.
Outside this club, a player like Bellingham would be the crown jewel any other academy would kill to sign.
As Yang Cheng watched the two kids go at it, he chatted with Ashworth about youth development—both in London and at Nice.
At the moment, Nice's training facilities were very limited.
Youth team sessions had to be carefully scheduled to avoid overlap.
A new training center had to be built.
That meant more discussions with the Nice city government.
The city was also actively bidding to host matches in Euro 2016.
If they won the bid, they'd need to build a brand-new stadium.
That was no small matter.
The city was already drafting plans.
They'd have to consider location, funding, and timing.
And just as important—how to use the stadium afterward.
Football venues cost a fortune to maintain, even when they sit idle.
And Nice only had one professional club.
Yang Cheng was very supportive of the city's Euro 2016 bid and new stadium plan.
According to city officials, once the new stadium was completed, the current Stade du Ray would be converted into a sports park.
Nice would relocate to the new stadium.
Neither venue would be owned by the club, so they had no right to object.
To rent the new stadium at low cost would already be a win.
What Yang Cheng really wanted, though, wasn't just a lease.
He wanted control over renovations, internal facilities, and naming rights.
That would be huge for the club's long-term future.
If Yang Cheng remembered correctly, the stadium was eventually named after Allianz.
Which proved how valuable it really was.
Just as Yang Cheng and the others were discussing all this, Matt Crocker received a message and came out to greet them.
Seeing the two kids still going at it, he walked over and called out:
"Jude, Jamal—enough! Stop for a second!"
Yang Cheng, standing just outside the crowd, heard the names—and froze.
He turned sharply, eyes wide with disbelief.
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