The world of Apex United had imploded.
Ethan stood on the sideline, a silent, stunned witness to the most spectacular self-destruction he could have ever imagined.
Two red cards in sixty seconds.
His captain and his chaotic new winger, both gone. He was down to nine men against the second-best team in the league, with twenty minutes left to play.
The home crowd at Plymouth was a roaring, jeering beast, tasting blood in the water.
On the pitch, his remaining nine players were in a state of shock, looking at their manager with wide, panicked eyes.
"What do we do, gaffer?!" Kenny McLean's voice was a desperate shout across the pitch.
"We can't play with nine men!"
"Shut up and get back in shape!" Ben Gibson, now the senior center-back, roared back, trying to organize a defense that was now a gaping, chaotic mess.
