The players stepped off the bus, their expressions set with determination. They walked straight into the stadium and went into their changing room and changed clothes into an away kit with bibs on top. Their warm-ups were intense. They rode to the stadium without a warm-up, and the aim was to get their stiff muscles moving. Hartford United's stadium, which is rectangular, has seating for 25,000. And it was ranked last on the best stadium in the under twenty-one league. Winston found the inventive and constant observation by multiple medical staff during his warm-up irritating because he was unable to push his limits. Every time he tries, the medical staff would tell him to calm down.
On the other side of the field, Hartford United players were glancing at Winston and kept murmuring among themselves. None of the Westminster players paid attention because they were busy with their intense warm-up. After the warm-ups, Winston was taken to the changing room first; in the changing room, the medical staff examined Winston's pulse and temperature. It was extremely uncomfortable when some medical staff sprayed freeze spray on his thighs. After they were done, Oswin mocked Winston for being a princess, and Winston was of course embarrassed by it. After the head coach went over the formation and emphasized the same defensive line from the previous match.
Walking down the tunnel, Winston felt a piercing gaze coming from Hartford. As Winston looked over, the Hartford players kept whispering, indifferent to his attention. After some brief deliberation on which team would start the match, Hartford won the coin toss. Since they were at the bottom of the league, Hartford played desperately as the match began. They really have nothing to lose other than being relegated to the lower league division. With aggressive passes targeting the first goal, they pushed Westminster deep into their own half, and their forwards and wingers dropped back in support. When Westminster players intercept the ball, the Hartford players would fake a foul. Because some Hartford players blocked the referee's vision, the referee awarded them a free kick every time they faked a foul. The only thing the referee sees are players who aggressively surround him. Of course, the under-twenties don't have an advanced Video Assistant Referee, also known as VAR. Because of the budget, the league didn't bring in money at the senior level.
Despite this, Hartford was awarded more free kicks yet failed to convert them into goals. Westminster players were angry at Hartford players for their shameful tactics. When they got the ball from a missed free kick, Hartford would play dirty. Surrounded by Hartford players after Westminster's defender passed to Winston for a header attempt, he felt an elbow strike his back and cried out in agony. He fell down and tossed in pain; the referee gestured for Winston to stand up and stop faking. Which enrages both the people in the dugout and the field players. Some players received a yellow for trying to pick a fight with the players from Hartford who were surrounding Winston, sizing him up.
"You okay, seems like you are a target again, I hate playing with a desperate team. Because they will do anything to win the match," Oswin said, helping Winston up.
"Yeah, I'm good, tell me about it. Do they think they will win playing like this?"
"Fuck them, I won't allow them to win this match,"
"Don't stoop to their level," Winston said, stretching his sore back.
"C'mon, the match is being restarted," Oswin said, walking in reverse into his position.
At the end of all the protests, Hartford was given a drop ball; Winston went in to pressure the Hartford players. Who Startly passing the ball recklessly and Winston used this opportunity to dash forward dribbling toward players who were marking him. This time he didn't go on alone; instead, he passed the ball to Oswin on his left flank, who masterfully dribbled along the flank. He even Sombrero flick the Hartford player who was marking him. When he turned to cross the ball from the back of the Hartford players who were crowding the box. Winston leaped and headed the ball in an arc—the Hartford goalkeeper stretched and diverted the ball away with his palms for a corner kick.
Now confident of his heading, Winston stayed inside the box, surrounded by Hartford players, they stepped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach. The referee still couldn't see because the Hartford players kept blocking his vision, even the Hartford fans were cheering at the entire event. To them, they needed this entertainment, the loss they had been dealing with back to back. It really pissed them off, so they heckled their team online to give them an entertaining match since they were already relegated to the lower league division. And the Hartford United chose the most scoring player for their upcoming match, which Winston unfortunately was their target.
Fighting to breathe, Winston elbowed one of the Hartford players in the stomach, resulting in the match being paused and him receiving a yellow card. Now pissed, Winston spread out his elbows and knees; When Oswin blasted the ball from the corner, Winston ducked underneath the Hartford players who kneed him in the chest and face. In the end, the Hartford players headed the ball away from the box and tried to quick counter—Winston bleeding from his mouth. Track back into his team's side. On the Westminster side, three defenders held the defensive line while four Hartford players, one with the ball, ran towards them. Westminster defenders ran backward, periodically glancing at the ball. Ultimately, Hartford lost possession of the ball because the pass went too far for the player running wide to the left. The referee halted the match upon seeing Winston's blood, summoning the medical team to administer aid. Outside the field, as the game continued, Oswin was now their target. But they couldn't get him since he didn't touch the ball too much. Each time he receives the ball, he quickly passes it back. Knowing Winston was injured, Oswin realized Hartford would make him their next target. For a while, Westminster held possession of the ball. The referee gestured at Winston to come in; when Winston entered the field, he didn't disturb the flow of the match. He didn't even attempt to burst run alone. Instead, he cools down and passes the ball down. This persisted for the entire duration of the first half.
In the latter half, Westminster's play remained consistent. Their tactic involved agitating the opposing team, causing them to fall back whenever the ball reached Winston, Oswin, or the winger and attacking midfielder. Of course, the Hartford players were not in a rush. They were at the bottom of the league after all. But what pressured them were their fans; they wanted the entertainment they were promised. And right now they were not delivering. Boos became loud and louder until Hartford started pursuing the ball more aggressively; Hartford being sloppy created an opportunity for Westminster to quick counter.
In rapid succession from their defensive positions, the team efficiently progresses the ball upfield towards the center of the pitch. Then it went on in Tiki Taka passes among midfielders and forwards. Winston was the first one—to exclude himself from the tiki taka passes. He ran and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hartford's defenders. Like clockwork, Oswin received the ball. He masterfully performed his magic; this time he didn't linger on making a fool of the Hartford player like before. This time he performed two moves in quick succession and in tandem: first an elastico, followed by Roll and scissors move, leaving his pursuers in the dust. Oswin ran inside, leaving the flank dribbling and passing defenders. Winston, who was pointing behind the defenders, dashed, leaving the defender partially holding his shirt. Demonstrating a relaxed demeanor with his shoulders, Winston artfully directed the ball under the goalkeeper's armpit.
Thwack!!!!
[DAILY USER CHALLENGES]
[Goals: 01/01]
[Completed]
[Reward: 05]
The Westminster fans erupted in excitement after protesting about the foul play. They now can rub into the Hartford fans' faces. Once the Westminster players had concluded their celebrations, the game was resumed, and in the remaining portion of the match, the Hartford team exerted their utmost effort, but it was subsequently Westminster's opportunity to disrupt their opponents' rhythm. When Hartford committed a turnover, Westminster would immediately send the ball downfield, back to their flank, causing them to restart the game from the back again, and this pattern of play continued until the final whistle.
Fwreeett! Fwreeett! Fwreeett!