The Coaching System-Chapter 128: A Growing Distance & League Domination
Jake woke up to silence.
Emma wasn’t in bed.
Downstairs, she stood in the kitchen, sipping coffee. No sarcasm about his drinking. No complaints. Just a distant nod when he greeted her.
Something was wrong.
"Emma," he said carefully. "Is something bothering you?"
She barely looked at him. "I said I’m fine, Jake."
Lie.
But he knew Emma—she wouldn’t talk until she was ready. So, for now, he let it go.
Clearing His Head – Watching the Next Generation
Needing space, Jake drove to the academy to watch Ethan Wilson’s U13 match.
The kid had talent but played too safe—too scared. At halftime, Jake walked up to him.
"What are you afraid of?"
Ethan hesitated. "I don’t know."
Jake shook his head. "Football isn’t about perfection. It’s about moments. Take your chances."
Ethan did.
He played without fear, scoring a hat trick in the second half.
As Jake left, he realized—he had just given advice that Emma might need to hear, too.
League Domination – Four Games, Four Wins
Back with the first team, there was no room for distractions.
Jake made sure of that.
Every training session was sharp, every drill was intense. No complacency. No let-up.
Four league games. Four wins.
Bradford weren’t slowing down.
Each match followed a similar pattern—high energy, relentless pressing, clinical finishing.
Opponents tried different approaches—some sat deep, hoping to frustrate them; others pressed high, trying to disrupt their rhythm.
None of it worked.
Bradford dictated every game. They forced mistakes, punished lapses in concentration, and suffocated teams with their work rate.
Ibáñez and Vélez ran the midfield like generals, controlling possession and breaking up counterattacks.
Silva and Mensah terrorized defenders, stretching the pitch with their pace and movement.
Novak and Costa were ruthless up top, turning half-chances into goals.
And at the back?
Barnes and Min-jae were a wall—no easy chances, no mistakes.
It wasn’t just winning.
It was dominance.
Game 1 – A Statement Victory (3-0 Win)
Jake stood on the touchline, arms crossed, as the referee blew the whistle.
From the opening minutes, Bradford played like a team on a mission.
There was no hesitation, no sluggish start—just relentless energy.
Early Control – Vélez and Ibáñez Dictate the Tempo
From the first whistle, Vélez and Ibáñez took command of the midfield, dictating play with quick, decisive passing.Vélez, full of energy, pressed high, disrupting the opposition’s attempts to build from the back.Ibáñez, playing in a deeper role, pulled the strings, ensuring Bradford never lost control.
15th Minute –
The first breakthrough came from a perfectly worked move.Ibáñez received the ball deep in midfield and spotted Rasmussen making a run down the left.The Danish winger took on his defender, cutting inside before slipping a pass to Novak at the edge of the box.Novak didn’t need a second invitation.One touch. One powerful strike.The ball rifled into the bottom corner.1-0 Bradford.
Jake didn’t celebrate much—this was expected.
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A Dominant First Half – But Not Without Challenges
After the goal, Bradford continued to dominate, but the opposition started sitting deeper, cutting off space.Their compact shape made it difficult to break them down.On the rare occasions they countered, Min-jae and Barnes were rock solid, winning every aerial duel and stepping in at the right moments.32nd Minute – The opposition’s striker managed to get behind the defense after a misplaced pass from Vélez.One-on-one with Okafor.Shot fired—Okafor reacts instantly, getting down low to parry it away.The rebound fell to another attacker, but Barnes slid in with a last-second block.Bradford survived.
Jake clapped his hands. "Wake up!" he barked at his players.
That scare was all they needed.
Second Half – A Ruthless Response
Whatever Jake said at halftime worked.
Bradford came out firing in the second half, refusing to let the opposition grow into the game.
53rd Minute –
Ibáñez started the move again, sending a long diagonal ball toward Silva.The Brazilian controlled it effortlessly, feinted right, then darted left—beating his man.A low-driven cross.Costa timed his run perfectly, arriving at the near post before anyone could react.First-time finish.The net bulged.2-0 Bradford!
The opposition looked defeated.
Bradford weren’t just winning.
They were in total control.
Jake didn’t relax yet.
He knew what was coming.
72nd Minute –
A moment of complacency saw Bradford give away a dangerous free kick just outside the box.The opposition’s best taker stepped up, curling the ball toward the top corner.The entire stadium held its breath—but Okafor was ready.A full-stretch save, fingertips pushing it over the bar.Jake nodded. That’s why he’s number one.
Closing the Game – A Cherry on Top
Bradford didn’t sit back.
They kept searching for a third goal to completely kill the game.
85th Minute –
Silva, who had been a menace all game, skipped past his defender again.Instead of crossing, he laid it off to Vélez just outside the box.Vélez looked up and spotted Rasmussen making a late run.A perfectly weighted pass.Rasmussen took one touch to set himself—then buried it into the bottom corner.3-0. Game over.
Full-Time – A Dominant Performance
The referee blew the final whistle, and Jake finally allowed himself to smile.This was a complete performance.The midfield was untouchable.The attack was clinical.The defense was impenetrable.Bradford were rolling toward the EFL Cup Final with unstoppable momentumGame 2 – Tactical Rotation, Same Results
Jake rotated the squad, knowing he had to manage fatigue with the EFL Cup Final looming.
But rotation didn’t mean weakness.
Even without their best XI, Bradford looked unstoppable.
Silva, returning to his best, controlled the left flank, while Mensah and Rasmussen stretched the opposition with relentless pace. Vélez, as always, dictated play in midfield, ensuring the team never lost control.
Bradford’s first goal came in the 19th minute, a classic high-press turnover. Ibáñez won the ball in midfield and immediately sent Mensah through. The Ghanaian winger squared it across goal, and Costa tapped it in from close range.
1-0 Bradford.
The second goal, in the 42nd minute, was pure quality. Silva won a free-kick just outside the box after being brought down on a driving run. The moment he placed the ball down, there was no doubt.
One step. One strike. Top corner.
The stadium erupted.
2-0 Bradford.
Jake barely reacted on the touchline. He expected it.
The second half saw more control, more dominance, more of the same. In the 67th minute, a quick combination between Vélez and Rasmussen tore the opposition apart. Rasmussen squared it for Silva, who faked a shot, then laid it off for Mensah to fire into the net.
3-0. Game over.
The Media & Fan Frenzy
Bradford had made a statement.
After the match, headlines across the country acknowledged the inevitable.
"Two Wins Away – Can Bradford Be Stopped?"
"Jake Wilson’s Side on the Verge of Glory."
In the Bradford fan café, the mood was even wilder.
"Just give us the trophy now!" one fan posted.
"Wilson isn’t a manager. He’s a God."
Another comment simply read:
"Build the statue."
Jake ignored the noise.
The job wasn’t done.
Not yet.
