Dynasty Awakening: Building My Own Football Empire-Chapter 218: Madness

The calendar on the wall of Michael Sterling office said May.

Three weeks had passed since the speech on television. T

The speech had worked. The team had gone into Berserk Mode. They had destroyed Brighton 3 to 0. They had beaten Arsenal 2 to 1 in a war at the Emirates. They had crushed Crystal Palace 4 to 0.

Michael sat at his desk. He looked tired. But it was a good tired. The kind of tired you feel after climbing a mountain and seeing the peak just a few meters away.

Arthur Milton was sitting on the floor. He was surrounded by paper sheets. He looked like a man drowning in statistics.

"Read it to me again Arthur," Michael said. "I like the sound of the numbers."

Arthur picked up a sheet. He smiled.

"Premier League Table," Arthur announced. "With one game left to play."

1. Manchester City. 86 Points.

2. Barnsley. 84 Points.

"Two points," Michael whispered. "We took it to the final day. If City lose or draw and we win then we are Champions."

"It is a miracle Boss," Arthur said.

Arthur held up another paper.

1. Erling Haaland. 34 Goals.

2. Victor Osimhen. 33 Goals.

"The Masked Assassin versus The Robot," Michael said. "One goal difference. Victor wants it. I can see it in his eyes. He stopped passing in training. He just shoots from everywhere. Even from the car park."

"He is hungry," Arthur agreed. "But today is not about the league Boss. Today is about the big arch."

Michael stood up. He walked to the window.

Outside the bus was waiting. Today was the FA Cup Semi Final.

Barnsley versus Manchester United.

At Wembley Stadium.

Wembley was not just a stadium. It was a cathedral of football.

The Barnsley bus drove down Wembley Way. The road was a sea of purple. Thousands of fans were waving flags. They were singing the song about Diego Nunez.

"HE IS BIG! HE IS BALD! HE IS SCARED OF NOTHING AT ALL!"

Diego Nunez pressed his face against the bus window.

"Look Papa Michael," Diego said pointing. "There are so many people. And look at the stadium. It has a giant handle on top."

"It is an arch Diego," Michael explained. "It holds the roof up."

"It looks like a handle for a giant to pick up the stadium," Diego argued. "Maybe I can pick it up."

"Please do not try to pick up Wembley Stadium," Arthur said nervously. "We need to play inside it."

The team walked into the dressing room. It was huge.

Jean Luc Dubois the French giant sat on the bench. He looked calm.

"I played at Stade de France," Jean Luc said. "This is big. But the grass is the same. Green. Edible."

"Do not eat the grass Jean Luc," Michael said. "We need it for the ball to roll."

Manchester United were waiting.

They were a dangerous team. They had Marcus Rashford. They had Bruno Fernandes. They had Alejandro Garnacho. They were fast on the counter attack.

Michael gathered his players.

"Listen," Michael said. "We are tired. I know. We have played fifty games this season. Endrick is at home watching on TV. Kai Sora is watching. We are surviving on adrenaline and caffeine."

He looked at Leo Stone. The young midfielder looked pale.

"Leo," Michael said. "You are the brain today. United will run at you. Do not panic. Find the space."

"I will be a ghost Boss," Leo promised.

"Victor," Michael looked at Osimhen. "Haaland scored yesterday. He is laughing at you."

Osimhen adjusted his mask. His eyes narrowed.

"He will not laugh for long," Osimhen growled.

The noise at Wembley was deafening. 90,000 people screaming.

The referee blew the whistle.

BARNSLEY vs MANCHESTER UNITED

The game started fast. Too fast.

Minute 10

Manchester United attacked. Bruno Fernandes played a long ball.

Garnacho was fast. He ran down the wing.

Tom the young right back tried to stop him. But Garnacho was tricky. He did a stepover and cut inside.

He shot.

Jan Visser dived.

SAVE.

The Giant Dutchman pushed the ball round the post.

"WAKE UP!" Jan screamed at his defense. "THIS IS NOT A HOLIDAY!"

Minute 25 Barnsley responded.

Jean Luc Dubois received the ball. He held off Harry Maguire. It was a battle of refrigerators.

Jean Luc turned. He passed to Osimhen.

Osimhen shot. Onana saved it.

"Closer!" Michael shouted from the touchline. "Keep pushing!"

Minute 40

Rashford got the ball. He ran at Diego Nunez.

Diego backed off. He remembered the lesson from the Chelsea game. Do not dive in.

But Rashford was clever. He used Diego as a screen. He shot through Diego legs.

Jan Visser saw it late.

The ball flew into the bottom corner.

GOAL.

Manchester United 1. Barnsley 0.

The red half of Wembley erupted.

Michael Sterling stood still. He felt a drop of rain on his nose.

"Of course it rains," Michael muttered. "It is England. It is Wembley. It has to rain when we are losing."

Diego Nunez looked at his legs.

"Why do I have gaps in my legs?" Diego asked sadly. "I should wear a skirt. A long metal skirt."

In the dressing room the mood was heavy.

1 to 0 down in a Semi Final.

Arthur Milton was pacing around eating a banana.

"We need magic Boss," Arthur said. "We need a spark."

Michael looked at the team. They were exhausted. The long season was heavy on their legs.

"We do not need magic," Michael said. "We need guts."

He walked to Jean Luc Dubois.

"Jean Luc. You are playing too nice. Maguire is pushing you. Do you like being pushed?"

"No," Jean Luc grunted. "I hate it."

"Then push back," Michael said. "Be the Tank. Clear the road for Victor."

He turned to the rest.

"Forty five minutes to get to the Final. Do you want to watch the Final on TV? Or do you want to play in it?"

"PLAY!" the team shouted.

THE BASH BROTHERS

The second half began.

Jean Luc Dubois came out angry.

Minute 55 Jean Luc won a header. He jumped so high he almost hit the moon.

The ball fell to Leo Stone. Leo passed it back to Jean Luc.

The Frenchman ran. Maguire tried to shoulder charge him. Jean Luc did not move. Maguire bounced off him and fell over.

"MOVE!" Jean Luc roared.

He was through. He saw Osimhen. He squared the ball.

Osimhen tapped it in. GOAL.

Barnsley 1. Manchester United 1.

The purple end of Wembley went crazy. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Osimhen ran to Jean Luc. He jumped into his arms.

"MERCI MON AMI!" Osimhen shouted.

"DE RIEN!" Jean Luc laughed carrying him like a baby.

THE SIEGE

The game turned into a war.

United attacked. Barnsley defended.

Minute 75

Bruno Fernandes hit the bar.

Minute 80

Jan Visser made a double save against Hojlund.

"My heart," Arthur whispered on the bench. "It is doing the samba. It beats too fast."

Michael looked at the clock.

Minute 88.

Extra time was looming. Barnsley did not have the energy for extra time. They needed to win now.

"Go forward!" Michael waved his arms. "One last push!"

THE MOMENT OF GLORY

Minute 90+2

Diego Nunez won the ball in defense. He did not pass. He ran.

The Bull was galloping.

"GO DIEGO!" the fans screamed.

Diego ran past Casemiro. He ran past Mainoo.

He was in the midfield. He was tired. His lungs were burning.

He saw a run. It was not Osimhen. It was not Jean Luc. It was Jamie Vardy. The old rat had come on as a substitute.

Diego played the pass. It was a beautiful pass.

Vardy chased it.

Martinez the United defender was chasing him.

Vardy was 37 years old. Martinez was 25.

But Vardy had Red Bull in his veins.

Vardy got to the ball first.

He looked at Onana.

He did not shoot hard. He chipped it.

The ball floated in the air. It felt like it took an hour to come down.

It dropped over the goalkeeper.

It bounced into the net.

GOAL.

Barnsley 2. Manchester United 1.

Pandemonium.

Jamie Vardy ran to the corner flag. He punched it. The flag flew into the crowd.

"HAVING A PARTY!" Vardy screamed. "BRING THE VODKA!"

Diego Nunez collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. He lay on his back laughing.

United tried to attack one last time.

But Sergio Ramos cleared it. He kicked the ball so high it almost hit the arch.

The referee blew the whistle.

BARNSLEY 2 - 1 MANCHESTER UNITED

They were in the Final.

Michael Sterling ran onto the pitch. He hugged Diego. He hugged Vardy. He hugged Jean Luc.

"We are going back to Wembley!" Arthur shouted jumping on Michael back. "We have a date with destiny!"

Michael looked up at the giant arch.

They had done it.

They had reached the FA Cup Final.

And they were still in the Premier League title race.

In the locker room the celebrations were loud.

Victor Osimhen was checking his phone.

"Haaland did not score today," Osimhen announced. "City played earlier. He blanked."

"So?" Leo Stone asked.

"So I am one goal behind," Osimhen grinned. "One game left. I can catch the robot."

Michael stood on a bench.

"Quiet!" Michael shouted.

The room settled down.

"We are in the Final," Michael said. "Celebrate tonight. Eat pizza. Drink cola. But tomorrow..."

He looked at them seriously.

"Tomorrow we focus on Sunday. The final day of the Premier League."

"City play West Ham," Arthur said checking his tablet. "We play Everton."

"If City win they are champions," Michael said. "But if they slip... if they draw or lose... and we win..."

He let the sentence hang in the air.

"We will be ready Papa Michael," Diego said. He was wearing a Wembley scarf as a bandana. "We will destroy Everton. And we will send bad vibes to City."

"Bad vibes?"

"Yes," Diego nodded seriously. "I will stare at the City players on the TV. My stare is powerful."

Michael laughed.

"Okay Diego. Use your stare."

He jumped down from the bench.

Two games left. One Cup Final. One League Final.