Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 176: Second-half Begins

Chapter 176: Second-half Begins

The second half was moments away, and the anticipation inside the AFAS Stadion hadn’t waned one bit.

The home fans were in full voice, chanting and clapping in rhythm, savoring every second of this dominant performance.

As the players emerged from the tunnel, the cameras focused on the AZ Alkmaar bench.

Benjamin Rijkaard and Steven Berghuis were standing near the technical area, their expressions unreadable but their body language suggesting eagerness to feature in the game.

[And here come the teams for the second half,] Mike announced. [And look at this—some early movement on the bench for both teams. Could we see changes any moment from now?]

[Wouldn’t be surprised, Mike,] his co-commentator responded. [With a seven-goal lead, Gertjan Verbeek has the luxury of rotating and giving minutes to his other players. Meanwhile, Gert Heerkes will be looking to reduce the deficit or prevent more concessions before the full-time whistle]

Fweeeee!~

The referee blew his whistle, signaling the restart.

SC Veendam, looking battered and bruised from the first half, kicked off, knocking the ball around hesitantly.

Their body language was telling—heads low, and shoulders hunched, as if they were bracing for another wave of attacks.

[If you’re SC Veendam, what do you even do at this point?] Mike asked, watching as their midfield attempted to string together a few passes.

[Damage control,] his partner replied. [Try to keep possession, slow the game down, and most importantly, don’t concede early again. Otherwise, this could get embarrassing]

AZ Alkmaar, however, had no intention of slowing down. Within seconds, Haye intercepted a careless pass and immediately switched the ball to Beerens, who charged down the right wing once more.

[Here they come again! Beerens is causing nightmares for SC Veendam tonight!] Mike shouted.

The winger drove forward at full speed, skipping past his marker before sending a low cross into the six-yard box.

Johannsson lunged, but the goalkeeper managed to punch the ball away—only for it to land at the feet of Overtoom at the edge of the 18 yard box.

[Overtoom—oh, he goes for it!] the co-commentator exclaimed.

Overtoom struck it first time, but his shot sailed narrowly over the bar. A sigh of relief swept through the SC Veendam players.

[That could’ve easily been eight,] Mike said. [They just can’t catch a break]

SC Veendam tried to reset, their backline taking extra touches, desperate to regain some composure.

Maynard, under pressure from Beerens, played it back to Nienhuis, who hesitated for a split second before clearing his lines.

[You can sense the nerves,] Mike observed. [They’re second-guessing every pass now]

[And that’s exactly what AZ Alkmaar wants,] his co-commentator added. [Keep them on edge, force mistakes, and pounce to desl the final blow]

The clearance didn’t travel far. Wijnaldum rose highest near the halfway line, nodding the ball forward into space.

Adam, always sharp, read it early and sprinted onto the loose ball before Boussaboun could react.

[Adam, quick to it, and now AZ Alkmaar are on the front foot again!]

Adam took one glance up before sliding a perfectly weighted pass through the middle, splitting the defense.

Guðmundsson latched onto it, his first touch immaculate as he stormed toward the 18 yard box.

[Guðmundsson’s in! Big chance here!]

The SC Veendam defense scrambled, Korthuis lunging in an attempt to block the angle.

Guðmundsson, cool as ever, feinted a shot with his right foot, forcing the defender to bite. With a smooth shift to his left, he carved out the space and unleashed a curling effort toward the far post.

[Guðmundsson goes for goal—]

The ball whipped through the air, its trajectory promising, but Nienhuis reacted quickly.

He threw himself across goal, his fingertips brushing the ball just enough to send it clipping off the post and out for a corner.

[What a save!] Mike exclaimed, his voice rising with the crowd’s roar. [That was heading straight for the top corner!]

[Brilliant effort from Guðmundsson, but credit where it’s due—Nienhuis keeps SC Veendam from sinking further down the quagmire]

Guðmundsson exhaled, hands briefly on his hips before jogging toward the corner flag in place of Overtoom.

The AZ Alkmaar fans behind the goal clapped in appreciation, knowing another goal was coming if their team kept up this relentless pressure.

[And now a corner for AZ Alkmaar,] Mike continued. [They’re in complete control, and you can see it in how they move—so much confidence in their play]

Guðmundsson placed the ball down, raising his hand as his teammates positioned themselves in the 18 yard box. The referee glanced around before giving the signal.

Fweeee!

[Let’s see what they cook up here,] the co-commentator murmured.

The delivery was sharp, curling toward the near post where Jóhannsson fought off his marker. He rose high, eyes locked on the ball, and powered a header toward goal.

[Johannsson—]

CLANG!!!

The ball crashed against the crossbar, rattling the frame before bouncing back into play.

Chaos ensued as Overtoom lunged for the rebound, but a last-ditch clearance from Mulder sent the ball spiraling away from danger but unfortunately for another corner.

[Off the bar! AZ Alkmaar are inches away from another!]

[SC Veendam are hanging on by a thread here,] the co-commentator chuckled, shaking his head. [How much longer can they keep this out?]

Overtoom jogged back to the corner flag this time around, shaking his head with a grin.

The AZ Alkmaar players were relentless, and the fans knew it was only a matter of time before the pressure paid off.

[Another corner for AZ Alkmaar,] Mike said, his voice still buzzing with excitement. [You can feel it, can’t you? The eighth goal is coming]

[Oh, it’s coming,] his co-commentator replied. [SC Veendam are barely keeping their heads above water]

Overtoom took a deep breath and lifted his hand once again, signaling to his teammates.

This time, the movement inside the 18 yard box was sharper.

Aron Johannsson was positioned near the penalty spot, Adam Maher lingered at the edge of the area, and Wijnaldum ghosted toward the far post.