My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 27: Don’t miss
"GOAL! IT COUNTS!"
The stadium was silent for a few moments before it suddenly erupted with cheers.
The Girona players came running at full speed to Rio to celebrate, their joyful emotions evident on their faces.
The Real Madrid squad was crestfallen. Despite being ahead comfortably just seconds ago, there had been a singular moment of chaos that allowed the underdog to claw back some hope. If Rüdiger had just cleared the ball properly, the end result could have been a lot different.
Rio saw the German defender grit his teeth and kick the post in frustration before turning to yell at his goalkeeper.
He contemplated saying something to the giant defender, perhaps a cheeky remark about "Pink Boots," however eventually decided not to.
Conceding stupid goals was a big part of football, he believed that a monster like Rüdiger would only get angrier from this experience.
After all, such things were what made Real Madrid so dangerous in the final minutes. Who was he to meddle in such affairs that could wake up the sleeping beast?
Once the celebrations died down a little, Rio was finally able to approach Mateo. Yet instead of saying anything, he held out his fist and grinned widely.
Mateo returned the smile, fist-bumping his best friend. Some things did not require words to be verbalized since they were so close.
Girona returned to their own half after some time, still jubilant from their lifeline. Even Coach Michel seemed to be in a frantic mood, waving his arms to organize the shape immediately.
Rio and Mateo returned to their positions and looked up at the scoreboard, the excitement of narrowing the deficit to 1-2 did not disappear even as the referee checked his watch.
A few moments later, Mateo could see a significant shift in his friend. He noticed that Rio was no longer trembling or looking at the ground with anxiety, it was as if his rookie nerves had disappeared overnight.
Although he may not have verbalized it, he had been worried about Rio’s mental state for a while now. Ever since he had that collision with Savic a few weeks ago, he felt as if there was something holding Rio back from his full potential.
Almost like there was a burden hanging over his head that he was keeping to himself.. the fear of being the reason they got relegated.
Yet now it was as if his friend had returned to his confident self. His face was focused, lacking any stress or worries that he was carrying before the goal.
Mateo could now breathe a sigh of relief.
Rio was standing in the center circle staring at the Real Madrid players.
He had been unable to remove the adrenaline from his veins for the past few minutes, still riding high from the deflected goal.
It was currently the eighty-eighth minute which meant that stoppage time was coming up.
If they could score one more against the Kings of Europe then they would secure the point needed to stay in the league.
Just thinking about this filled him with excitement which made it difficult to stand still. However, patience was key in such situations.
After about 30 seconds of bouncing on his toes he finally entered a state of flow, dreaming about doing the impossible.
[Chat Room Active]
Hand_Of_King: You actually did it! You ugly little genius! Now, do not sleep! The game is not over!
Total_Football_14: The momentum has shifted. Madrid is confused. This is the moment to strike.
The_Phenomenon_9: I smell blood. Or maybe it is just sweat. Go for the throat, Rio!
Having his mind focused solely on the equalizer, Rio had completely forgotten that his legs were screaming in pain.
Therefore the next few seconds were a blur as he tried his best to stretch his calves and review the tactical situation from the last ten minutes.
Thanks to his B-grade Mental focus his memory and cognitive abilities had been strengthened considerably, allowing him to analyze the pitch efficiently compared to before.
Then came the whistle, the restart of the Final Battle against Real Madrid. They had been crowned champions of La Liga weeks ago and still retained a world-class aura despite looking slightly annoyed.
This was the team that Girona had feared in his previous life as a fan. Not because of one player, but because the whole team possessed "Black Magic" in the dying moments of a game.
Real Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was also a large factor for their success, relying on "vibes" and individual brilliance to get wins on the board.
Using such a fluid tactic in modern football helped empower the superstars at the cost of tactical rigidity.
Every play was designed to get the ball to Vini or Bellingham, whether it was long balls or intricate passing triangles to secure wins from the jaws of defeat.
Despite Girona’s best effort in the first half, they still gave up two goals against their suffocating individual quality.
’Things will be different this time.’ Rio said inwardly, eyeing the opposition dugout.
He was a man in his sixties, garbed in a sleek black suit and chewing gum with a raised eyebrow. Everything about him screamed royalty.
Even though he was looking calm on the sideline, Rio knew that the old Italian was a stern and serial winner who was similar to a mafia boss. He demanded victory from his players, despite having already won the league.
Coach Michel differed in his opinions while carrying a similar passion. He still understood that his players were underdogs and therefore leaned towards inspiring them rather than expecting perfection.
This is why Rio liked their coach. This became even more apparent in this match now that he had already experienced the crushing weight of professional football for some time. Things that were lost or went unnoticed while he was sitting on the bench became glaringly obvious.
He could see the fire on his Coach’s face when the kids performed well, yet he never scolded someone when they tried to be brave. His tough exterior and soft interior was perfect for nurturing a relegation-threatened team.
Rio felt the drive to beat Madrid even more. He couldn’t let the team that Coach Michel built be relegated by such a cruel fate.
Real Madrid took the kick-off and was forced to play backwards.
"Alright, this is the final five minutes of the season. We only need one goal and then we’re safe. I don’t have much else to tell you other than run until you die and make history." The Coach gave a simple address to the team from the sideline while the fourth official was raising the board.
[Added Time: 6 Minutes]
"Six minutes?" Rio whispered, wiping sweat from his eyes. "That’s an eternity."
The ball moved quickly. Real Madrid wasn’t parking the bus. They were insulted. They wanted to score a third to shut the crowd up.
Modric controlled the ball in midfield. The Croatian wizard looked calm amidst the chaos. He sprayed a pass wide to Rodrygo.
"Press him!" Michel screamed.
Rio didn’t need to be told twice. He activated his legs, ignoring the burning sensation.
[Mission Progress: Score or Assist against the Champions]
[Status: COMPLETE]
[Reward: ’The Ferrari Engine’ - Ready to Install?]
Rio’s eyes widened. The reward. It was ready.
"Install!" he screamed internally. "Install it now, you damn System!"
A surge of heat, different from the pain, flooded his legs. It felt like someone had injected rocket fuel directly into his veins. The fatigue vanished, replaced by a terrifying, mechanical hum in his muscles.
Rodrygo tried to dribble past Miguel on the flank. He cut inside.
"Mine!" Mateo shouted, sliding in.
It was a risky tackle. If he missed, Rodrygo was through on goal.
Mateo won the ball. Cleanly. The ball popped up into the air.
"Rio!" Mateo screamed from the ground.
Rio was already running. He wasn’t running away from the ball; he was running into the space behind the high line that Madrid had foolishly kept.
The ball bounced once.
Rüdiger turned. He was fast. He was a monster.
[Active Skill: The Ferrari Engine]
[Effect: Unlimited Stamina for 3 minutes. Top Speed increased by 5%.]
"Bye bye," Rio whispered.
He touched the ball with his head, pushing it past Rüdiger. The German defender reached out a hand to grab his jersey.
"Fuck off!" Rio roared, slapping the hand away and accelerating.
The crowd rose. The noise was deafening. It was a physical force, hitting him in the chest.
He was through. Again.
But this time, he wasn’t alone!
Courtois was charging out. The giant Belgian wasn’t staying on his line this time. He was coming to kill the angle. He was coming to kill Rio.
And to his left... Vinicius was sprinting back. The Brazilian was fast, terrifyingly fast.
Total_Football_14: Do not slow down!
Hand_Of_King: Chip him! He is too tall! Chip the giant!
Rio looked at the goal. It looked so small. Courtois looked so big.
"One chance," Rio thought. "One chance to save the club."
He didn’t slow down. He didn’t stop. He ran straight at the goalkeeper.
Courtois slid, spreading his body like a wall.
Rio planted his left foot. The world went into slow motion again.
He didn’t chip.. He didn’t shoot...
He rolled the ball sideways.
To where?
To the penalty spot.
Where an exhausted, panting, half-dead Mateo had managed to drag his body.
"Mateo!" Rio screamed.
Courtois was on the floor. The goal was empty. Mateo stared at the ball rolling towards him.
"Don’t miss," Rio prayed, falling over Courtois’ legs. "Please, for the love of god, don’t miss."
