Sonny runs forward with the ball. Theo slowly jockeys, waiting for Sonny to make a significant move.
"Ok, I've seen Ronaldinho dribble before... speed up, slow down at the last second and hit with toe pock to the side. That could do the trick!", Sonny thought while approaching Theo.
Sonny pushes the ball up and speeds up, Theo put in his right foot, to make a challenge and win the ball.
Sonny slows down immediately, and he pocks the ball between Theo's legs.
"Oohh, that actually worked!", Sonny thought, while passing the ball into the open net.
"+3 points to Sonny Hale. You now have 5 points in total". The assistant said.
Theo was a bit stunned. He smiled and went back to his position. "ok, that was a good one Sonny. Now is my turn", he chuckled, with his eyes closed, beaming with aura.
"Fweeee!".
The ball is passed to Theo. He controls the ball, and with his first touch he pushed forward, it was like a gust of wind had pushed him.
He was smiling, running forward with speed. "Bro, how is he.." Sonny said, while trying to understand Theo's new rhythm.
Theo slide the ball to his left foot opening up for a shot, Sonny dives in with his entire body to block the shot, Theo chops the ball back into his right foot, leaving Sonny to slide almost out of their division on the pitch.
"Ooh, sh*t!" someone in the crowd watching, shouted, while his friends were laughing.
"+1 point to Theo", Theo walks the ball into the net, and jogs back to his position.
"+2 points to Theo Harrow", the assistant said.
"Ain't no way that just happened", Sonny muttered, while dusting off the grass on his face and getting up from the ground.
Damien watching on, getting ready fot second set of groups to start their match, "He's getting cooked again... as always", he said while watching.
*****
"Ok, it's 9 to 5... close enough, still got like 3 minutes left. I have to make it count", Sonny thought
The ball was passed to Sonny, he does a nervous touch at first but doesn't lose it. He breathes in and breathes out, then drives forward.
He does a quick double step over, but Theo doesn't move.
Sonny quickly does a faint and turns into a rainbow flick over Theo's head. Theo leaps backward and catches the ball with the outside of his right boot, before the ball could come down to Sonny's feet.
"Bro what?!.." Sonny stunned in thought.
"+1 point to Theo".
The ball drops to Theo's front, he drives forward with the ball and taps it into the net".
"+2 points to Theo Harrow" the assistant said.
Coach Joe signals to everyone that, only 1 minute was left in this session.
"Sonny, this round is mine... you might have to take the 'L' on this one bro", Theo said while going back to his position, and looking at Sonny.
Sonny went back to his position, but was not motivated anymore, the mojo he had at the beginning of the trial was slowly fading away.
"12 to 5. Even if I do manage to get another goal, he would still win this round", he muttered to himself.
"I've trained for all this. Why cant I just... play? Its now or never. I have to Lock in" He muttered with determination in his eyes.
"Fweee!".
Sonny drives forward with the ball. Theo thought Sonny would try a flashy move or skill. But instead he shoots and curves the ball around Theo.
"+2 points to Sonny!".
"30 seconds more!", Coach Joe exclaimed.
Theo Harrow is passed the ball, he drives forward. Tries the "shot into a chop" technique once more. Sonny doesn't move.
He tries it again, Sonny doesn't move. "It's not gonna work again. I've seen through you Theo Harrow", Sonny muttered while looking down at the ball.
Theo flinched, and was flat footed for a brief second. This gave Sonny time, and he dived in with a sliding tackle to win the ball form Theo.
"+1 point to Sonny".
Sonny drove forward and tapped the ball into the net.
"+2 points to Sonny Hale!" The assistant said.
" 12 points to Theo... 10 points to Sonny. 15 seconds left!", the assistant exclaimed.
It was Sonny's ball and this was the last move of the round. If he miscontrolled or made the slightest mistake.. Theo would win.
Theo knew this and decided to make sure to stall Sonny and keep him in a stalemate just long enough so the 15 seconds could elapse.
Sonny was passed the ball and he immediately drove forward. Theo was leaping forward, ready to jockey and wait.
Theo then remembered their past, when they were still kids.
He, Sonny, Zayn, and Endo would play together in the park whenever Sonny's dad wasn't home.
Theo thought to himself while smiling and looking at Sonny, "Sonny... we've come so far. It feels great! doing 1v1's with you again. My trial at Middlesbrough might have not gone as expected but.."
"Whatever happens today, in this trial... it will never affect our friendship", he thought.
"But I have to win. I must win this and move on to the next stage. The national championship is not a game to me", he said, while jockeying, and looking at Sonny drive forward in slow motion.
Sonny shifts the ball to his left foot, to open up for a shot.
He wanted Theo to bite in and block so he can feint, but Theo didn't budge.
Sonny fakes the shot and cuts it back into his right.
Theo thought he would shoot for real, and he mistakenly puts his leg forward to make a challenge just for a fraction of a second.
And immediately, Sonny pocks it back into his left, and fires the ball towards the goal post.
The ball hits the of the bar. The air grew thin.
A grin of disbelief on Theo Harrow's face.
Sonny closed his eyes, he didn't want to know if the ball went in or not. For him This was only round 1. There were still 2 more rounds to go before the technical test was over.
But as the ball hit the bar it, it hit to the bar at the other side of the goal and went into the net.
"Fweee! Fweee! Fweee!". Coach Joe blew the final whistle for all sets to stop.
Sonny breathing heavily with disbelief. Looking at the ball inside the net. He fell on his knees and looked at his palms. A single tear dropped from his eye and then he shouted.
"YEEEESSS!", he exclaimed.
"+3 points to Sonny Hale. That is 12 points to Theo Harrow and 13 points to Sonny Hale", the assistant said.
This meant that Sonny had won the first round of the test but no one would be eliminated yet. As there were still 2 more rounds to go against their opponent before the final score would be known.
"1-0.. to me!... against Theo of all people", Sonny bluttered while on his knees.
"It's still the first round. I can't relax now. I know for a fact That in these next 2 rounds, Theo's gonna lock in too". Sonny said. But he couldn't help but put a grin on his face.
Theo put one hand on his waist. Shell-shocked "I lost... to Sonny. I can't lie, he deserves the win for his efforts", he chuckled
"but, it's not going to happen again".