The final score of the match was 3:2, and Ajax ultimately lost.
When Sean desperately took a shot, only for the ball to hit the crossbar, Frank de Boer's face fell.
But after Sean finally broke up Mane's counter-attack, Frank de Boer cheered and jumped up.
Losing by only one goal and securing two away goals was an acceptable result. A small celebration was in order, and most neutral fans could accept it without being mocked as 'win-ologists'.
The key lay in the away goals.
Two away goals were incredibly valuable. Returning home, a 1:0 or 2:1 victory would be enough to eliminate Salzburg Red Bull and secure the final win.
Everyone knew this.
The Ajax players, of course, were especially clear on this.
"Well done!"
"That was all you, Sean!"
"..."
Everyone who passed Sean patted him on the shoulder or arm, offering a word of praise and thanks.
Even Bojan was no longer dejected, nonchalantly following the main group to thank the fans.
What awaited them, of course, were the cheers of the fans.
The dramatic ups and downs were incredibly exciting. The fans temporarily forgot the various mistakes that had raised their blood pressure earlier… Among the Ajax squad, Sean remained the focus of the media.
Not many media outlets or fans criticized Sean for missing the decisive goal; most voices praised his brace.
"The youngest player to score a brace on his European debut" was the new title given to Sean by the media.
What a pity, perhaps because there were too many qualifiers, the system did not consider this a new record, and therefore, there was no reaction at all.
Of course, it might also be because the match was lost; after all, not only was the record not recognized, but Sean's goals also did not bring any rewards.
The media's praise for Sean, of course, did not stop there.
"Resilience"
"Passion"
"Never give up"
These were all new labels given to Sean by the media.
Especially the scene after the ball hit the crossbar, with Bojan sitting on the ground and Sean winning the ball back, it had the potential to become a new world-famous painting.
Raiola was very happy about this, specifically calling to gush about Sean, mainly because Sean was so easy to market. With just a little guidance, enthusiastic fans could naturally elevate the atmosphere.
Bojan, however, was very displeased. He dropped his arrogant persona and pestered Sean, constantly demanding that Sean mend his injured spirit.
Sean's face was calm and composed; he simply waved his hand dismissively, indicating these were minor matters, though he felt quite pleased inside.
However, no matter how pleased he felt, it didn't change one fact: this match was lost!
As the intense emotions subsided, the truth gradually took hold.
On the bus back to the hotel, the relaxed expression on Sean's face gradually disappeared: Was my first professional defeat really happening like this?
Bojan nudged Sean with his elbow, "What's wrong with you?"
Sean replied:
"I just realized that my first professional defeat has arrived just like this.
The opponent isn't a galactic team like Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Bayern,
It's not a powerhouse like Manchester United, Arsenal, or the Milan giants,
It's not even a team from the top five Leagues or a strong team from a second-tier League like Porto or Benfica,
It's just Salzburg Red Bull, an Austrian 'powerhouse!'
Playing for world-renowned Ajax, yet losing to the obscure Salzburg Red Bull!
I really am…"
Sean spread his hands, speechless.
Bojan frowned, his expression becoming serious, "You can't look at it that way. Football is round; anything can happen.
It's not always the team with stronger paper strength that wins.
This is a very simple truth; I don't believe you wouldn't understand it!"
"Of course, I understand, I'm just annoyed."
"You're too hard on yourself. In terms of dominance, the Dream Team Barça was considered a leader among dynasty teams, right?
The media praised them—no—us as invincible, and we truly could defeat any team.
But could we always win—no—always remain undefeated?
No. Not just against strong teams, we've lost to weaker teams more than once!
There are countless factors that influence the outcome of a match, and winning or losing is very normal. You really don't need to be so hard on yourself.
What's more, purely comparing hard strength, Red Bull isn't worse than us.
You've done well enough. Now that the result is acceptable, you need to relax a bit.
Being constantly stressed won't work; that's not how professional football is played!"
Bojan finished speaking in one breath, then took a deep gasp.
"Wow~" Sean turned to look at him, marveling, "The arrogant Bojan actually has a talkative side. Should I feel honored?"
Bojan glanced at Sean, "I just think you're a bit like me when I first started out, don't get it wrong!"
Sean nodded, "Hmm, alright, alright, I know you're looking at me differently."
"And I also know you're regretting your past self, gushing at your former self. Of course, I don't need to say that out loud."
Bojan rolled his eyes a few times and said nothing more.
Sean exhaled, "Of course, I know this result is acceptable. I was even very happy right after the match ended.
However, being happy for this short while is enough. The media and fans can keep being happy, but we shouldn't ignore the facts.
The fact is we lost, and for most of the match, we were humiliated by Red Bull. So, we need to get our revenge!"
Bojan really didn't know what to say at this point. Should he say, "You truly have a dog's face; you change so quickly?"
The others, of course, were even less likely to interject.
The bus fell silent for a moment.
Sean clasped his hands together and bowed a few times, "Thank goodness, we still have a chance to get our revenge!"
Huh?
The Ajax players followed Sean's train of thought and realized he was right; they had to seize the opportunity to win the match back!
Everyone reached a consensus on this, and the atmosphere in the bus relaxed a little more.
In the front row, Frank de Boer and Bergkamp exchanged glances.
Frank de Boer shrugged, "Looks like we don't need to specifically manage the players' mentality!"
Bergkamp twitched his lips, "I bet you won't give Sean a bonus."
Frank de Boer spread his hands, "But I feel he could be captain…"
...When the Champions League underwent its reform, the Europa League also changed from the UEFA Cup to the European League.
Although it was still habitually referred to as the Europa League, its status plummeted.
From being on par with the Champions League, and even often surpassing it in terms of match excitement, it fell to the point where it could only pick up scraps in the Champions League's wake.
However, despite its decline, it was still a European League, and its influence still surpassed that of the Eredivisie.
Salzburg Red Bull vs. Ajax, as one of the main events, was even more so.
This match, dubbed a Champions League knockout stage-level game, received Champions League knockout stage-level attention.
Sean scored a brace in this match, and his influence even far exceeded that of a hat-trick in the Eredivisie. His name spread throughout Europe overnight.
As Liverpool's sporting director, Michael Edwards' desk was, of course, immediately presented with Sean's information.
Edwards rose from a data analyst at Portsmouth to the high position of Liverpool's sporting director, relying on his superb data analysis skills.
Upon receiving the data of the rising star player, Edwards naturally performed a thorough analysis, and then—he just stared blankly at his analysis results…
...
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