After Birmingham City U18s scored the opener, the match started to shift in Hull City U18s' favor. The goal seemed to light a fire in the visitors. They began sending more players forward, trying to press Birmingham deeper into their own half. The pressure was obvious, and it only intensified with each passing minute.
Hull City U18s began creating chance after chance. Their midfield controlled the rhythm and tempo, launching wave after wave of attacks. Birmingham were still in the lead, but they were now on the back foot. It was becoming harder to string passes together. The Hull midfielders were quick to close down, quick to intercept. The Birmingham players had to dig in and focus.
They managed to create one or two chances of their own, but it was clear that Hull City U18s were dictating play. Anyone watching could see that while the scoreboard favored Birmingham, the visitors held the momentum.
In the thirty ninth minute, Birmingham finally managed to create their second big chance of the match. It started with Able Wilson. Until that moment, he had been quiet. He had struggled to get involved, but this time he showed why he was in the starting eleven.
Able received the ball deep in his own third. As soon as he got it, he took off. He beat the first player with a smart body feint, shifting his weight slightly to the left and accelerating past the defender. The second defender came in fast, but Able knocked the ball from his right foot to his left and slid it through the legs of the onrushing Hull player. A clean La Croqueta.
Now he was in the final third. Just one more defender to beat. He slowed down, adjusted his body, made it seem like he was heading wide. The right back hesitated for just a second. That was all Able needed. He touched the ball with the outside of his right foot, and as soon as the defender leaned that way, he cut inside with his left.
The defender stood frozen. He could not keep up. Able was inside the box now. He steadied himself and took the shot.
The ball curled through a crowd of players, bending toward the far post. But it lacked the dip. Everyone held their breath as the ball flew toward the goal. Then came the sound. A soft thud as the ball hit the roof of the net. Just inches too high.
Groans echoed around the stadium. So close.
"Fuck!" Able shouted. He clutched his head with both hands.
On the bench, Valen sighed. Not at the missed chance, but at the voice that came immediately after.
"Did you see that?" Jamie said, already leaning toward him. He wrapped an arm around Valen's shoulders. "Did you see how simple his movements were? That's what you should perfect. Make even the most complex of movements seem simple. That's what's effective."
Valen gave a small nod. For once, Jamie said something that helped. There was truth in those words. Simplicity in dribbling was often what separated the good from the great.
Messi used the body feint like a weapon. One shift of the body and defenders would crumble. Ronaldo's cutback, the chop, was a simple move that humiliated the best defenders in the world. These moves were not flashy. They were efficient. That was the real secret. Make it look easy, and it becomes deadly.
Valen scratched his head, thinking about everything Jamie had just said. Maybe he needed to go back to basics. Maybe less was more.
Eventually, the first half came to an end. Birmingham City U18s were still in the lead. One goal to nil. The players made their way back into the locker room. It was time for the halftime talk.
"Alright boys, we've done well so far," James began. He stood in front of the team, arms crossed. "I know they're creating more chances, and they have more shots, but we have more goals. And that's what matters."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "That being said, we can't keep relying on our goalkeeper to keep bailing us out. We have to take this game by the scruff of the neck and score the second and the third and the fourth and the fifth and as many goals that we can, do you get that?"
"Yeah!" the players shouted.
James gave a small nod. He went over a few tactical adjustments. Small changes. Minor tweaks in positioning and pressing. Everyone listened carefully. They knew they had to be sharper in the second half. Once James was done, the players began getting up. One by one, they filed out of the locker room and back toward the pitch.
As Valen stood up, James reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He pulled him in slightly, resting his arm around Valen's neck.
"Now everyone tells me you can't kick a ball for the life of you, but I prefer to judge based on what I've seen," James said. His voice was quieter now, meant only for Valen to hear. "And I've been impressed by what I've seen you do in training. And like I say, if you train well, you will play, and you have trained very well, so you will play in the second half. Even if it's just for five minutes, I promise that I'll get you on the field."
He clapped Valen on the back.
Valen's heart lifted. Some players might have felt insulted by the comment, but Valen wasn't like that. He understood what James was trying to say. This would be his first official match appearance since his second ACL injury. That meant something. Even if it was just five minutes, he would treat it like his entire career depended on it. He had to.
[Ding! Host has received a mission]
[Mission: Host's coach has shown trust in the host and promised him playing time. Leave your mark in the match by achieving a minimum of a 7.0 match rating]
"Match rating?" Valen muttered to himself. "Like FotMob and stuff?"
[Ding! Yes, system has its own match rating format calibrated on the time you spent on the pitch and the actions you make, like dribbles, sprints, recoveries etc.]
Valen gave a small nod and walked toward the tunnel. The second half was about to begin.
When he stepped outside, he looked around the bench and chuckled. There was one seat still empty. Right next to James. No one wanted it. Everyone avoided it.
Valen didn't mind. He walked over to it and plopped down.
If sitting beside James meant he would play more, then he was more than happy to sit there every match of the season.