Football singularity

Chapter 784 Exhaustion

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[2021-05-29 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto | 23:15 WEST]

[Manchester City 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - Extra Time]

(FWEEEEEET!)

[106’]

Agüero kicked off the second half of extra time for City, tapping it back to Foden. The young midfielder immediately played it back to Rodri, who spread it wide to Walker on the right. The English fullback had to quickly turn away to shield the ball from the charging Rakim, who crossed the distance in no time.

Using his body to shield the ball, he passed it inwards to Stones, and the English centre back quickly played it forward to Rodri. The boys in sky blue maintained control of the ball, but the Germans were now actively attacking them. Forcing a technical side like City to play physical football, the midfield battle quickly became a meat grinder.

Seeing this, both coaches quickly made their final changes in an attempt to create something in the final moments and in preparation for the shootout. Pep called over to the fourth official, making his final two substitutions in the forms of Fernandinho for Gündogan and Ferran Torres for Phil Foden. Fernandinho jogged on, immediately taking up position as the deepest midfielder, allowing Rodri to push slightly higher.

Bosz took off Daley, who was not the same after a knock with Walker, who had charged up the flank. Lucas Alario came on, joining Schick up front as the formation shifted to a 3-1-4-2 with Rakim and Leon joining Charles and Amiri in the middle. Baumgartlinger remained as the pivot, helping to keep the attacking front of the Manchester side from easily passing around their box.

[107’]

Following the substitution, City continued to work the ball methodically, trying to break through the German deadlock. Fernandinho won the ball in midfield and immediately felt the weight of Baumgartlinger’s draped over his back. The Brazilian veteran was experienced enough to shield it, rolling it out to Walker.

The English fullback drove forward, but Rakim had come charging up the flank again, making up what he lacked in defensive ability with sheer speed and physical ability. Forced to turn away, the wingbak tried to escape, but the winger with whom he had been battling all night was relentless. They exchanged a shoulder check, remaining almost evenly matched before he managed to poke the ball out for a throw.

A few minutes later, in the 11th, Ferran Torres had received the ball in the middle of the pitch, and instead of the usual Tiki takka short passes, he sent a cross-field ping. The pass was so sudden that even Sergio Agüero, the intended recipient, was late to react, and instead of piercing into the box, he had to chase the airborne ball wide. Stretching out his right boot into the air, he brought it down with grace and was immediately faced with Tapsoba in front of him.

Forced to react quickly, the Argentine performed a step over, flicking the ball to the byline in one motion. Before the Leverkusen defender could react, he whipped in a cross that tore through the six-yard box. The ball whipped across the face of the goal, bending wickedly toward the far post.

Jesus attacked it, lunging in front of Frimpong, his foot connected with the end of the ball, sending it goalward. "Gabriel Jesus, point blank!" Drury exclaimed, only to hold his head in disbelief the next moment as Hardeckey caught the ball firmly, grasping it.

The Finnish keeper, who had been dropping to his knee in that direction, comfortably caught the ball, suffocating the attack in the cradle. He didn’t remain down for long, immediately jumping up from the ground and racing to the edge of the box. With a powerful swing of his arm, he catapulted the ball forward to the halfway line, aimed at Schick.

The Czech striker leapt into the air, beating Dias in the aerial duel to nudge the ball down to Alario. The Argentine forward laid the ball back to Aránguiz, who had just crossed into the middle third. The midfielder pushed away Fernandinho, who tried to get in his way, and immediately looked for Leaon and Rakim, who charged up their respective flanks.

Without hesitation, he picked out Rakim and sent an arcing through ball over the city line of defence. But he might have put too much power behind the strike as it sailed high in the air, staying largely central, dropping before the box. Rakim’s legs pumped with energy, fighting both exhaustion and Walker, trying to get to the ball first.

Ederson, who had seen the whole attack develop from within his goal, had immediately raced out, leaping into the air a step before Rakim and Walker could. Flying out of the box, the Brazilian powerfully headed the ball forward as he crashed into the two in front of him. The ball looped into the air, flying right into Alario’s path just inside the final third.

Possessed by glory, the forward swung his foot, meeting the descending ball on the volley, resembling prime Ibra. The ball rattled off his boot, hitting the sweet spot as it exploded forward. Dias, deciding he could have been a gymnast, somehow managed to stretch his foot out long enough to hit the underside of the ball.

The deflection was enough to alter the ball’s path into the stands, once again swatting the Germans’ hope at victory. "Rúben Dias with the deflection!" Druy commented, voicing the same disbelief the Leverkusen players and fans felt.

"They will be wondering how much more they need to do or whether they are just not meant to win this match," Tydsley added, voicing the frustration. "Though if you are a neutral, this will be an exciting spectacle."

[117’]

In the 27th minute of extra time, both sides seemed to have accepted that this match would be decided in the penalty shootout, a revolver duel. The match had visibly slowed somewhat as players seemed to be conserving energy for what was about to come. But Rodri didn’t seem to have gotten the memo, as after a sequence of passes, he found himself in possession of the ball.

Instead of the usual passing play that his marker, Charles, had been expecting, he suddenly turned, slinking past him with a nimble piece of footwork. Exchanging a one-two with Jesus, he skipped by Baumgartlinger’s slide tackle and found himself at the left edge of the box. In his eyes, the space that didn’t exist all night seemed to open up, and for a brief moment, the entire stadium held its breath.

Tah slid forward, throwing himself in his way, but the Spaniard’s right foot drew back, sending a powerful kick across the turf toward the near post. He wasn’t the only one who was awake, though, as Hradecky had immediately shuffled across his goal line, reading the angle. He dove his body fully horizontal, left hand stretching desperately. His palm connected with the ball, managing to push it wide beyond the near post.

"HRADECKY AGAIN!" Drury roared. "The Finnish wall refuses to crack!"

[118’]

Tapsoba’s powerful header cleared the corner, but City immediately recycled possession, refusing to let Leverkusen breathe. The ball pinged around the edge of the box from Walker to Fernandinho to Rodri to Torres, each one touch pinging the ball around like pinballs, probing for the crack in the German wall.

In the VIP box, May stood with her hands clasped together, knuckles turning white with tension. She wasn’t the only one, as all the fans around the stadium were on the edge of their seats, hearts beating a mile a minute. Anyone who had some skin in the game prayed for a miracle or a hero to emerge.

On the pitch below, legs had gone beyond being just heavy; now, lungs burned with every step, and sheer will was the only thing keeping the majority going. Rakim bent over slightly in his own half, hands on his knees, chest heaving as play had shifted to the opposite flank. He didn’t like defending and usually didn’t do much other than zonal marking required of him, but this game required him to actively run back to help out.

Across from him, Walker looked equally shattered and had long stopped talking to him; all thoughts of mental games had become redundant. Torres received the ball on the City’s left flank, cutting inside, making use of his fresh legs that the others lacked. He drove at the tired Leverkusen defence, then slipped it through to Agüero, who had found space just outside the box.

"Agüero!" Drury’s voice climbed.

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TO BE CONTINUED...