Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 219: Offside!

Chapter 219: Offside!

[Danger here for AZ Alkmaar!]

He spotted Di Natale peeling off his marker at the far post and swung in a curling cross. It dropped perfectly into the striker’s path.

[Di Natale!]

He met it first-time, drilling a low volley toward the bottom corner—but Alvarado was there again, stretching out a strong left hand to parry it away!

[Unbelievable! Alvarado matches Brkić save for save!]

David whistled. [Two world-class goalkeepers refusing to be beaten. This is incredible!]

Marco grinned. [And we’re still in the 42 minute first half! What a game!]

The ball rebounded to Muriel, who lined up a shot—but Martens lunged in, blocking it with his body before Elm cleared the danger.

[That’s commitment! Martens putting his body on the line!]

AZ Alkmaar quickly looked to transition, Berghuis picking up the loose ball and racing forward. The game was turning into a battle of endurance, a test of who would break first.

[Still no goals, but with this kind of intensity, you feel like something has to give soon!]

The game refused to slow down. AZ Alkmaar, despite being a man down, continued to push forward with relentless determination.

Berghuis controlled the ball near the halfway line, waiting for an opening. His sharp eyes caught Benjamin making a run down the left flank.

[Benjamin’s in space!]

Berghuis wasted no time, curling a precise pass into Benjamin’s path. The young winger sprinted onto it, his first touch immaculate as he drove forward.

Udinese’s right-back scrambled to close him down, but Benjamin shifted gears, cutting inside with a drop of the shoulder.

[That’s brilliant from Benjamin! He’s got options!]

He lifted his head, scanning the 18 yard box. Altidore was already making his move, peeling off his marker toward the penalty spot.

Benjamin didn’t hesitate—he slipped a perfectly weighted through ball between two defenders.

[What a pass! Altidore’s through!]

The American striker latched onto it, took a single touch to steady himself, and then slotted it past Brkić with a cool finish into the bottom corner.

[GOAL—]

But the assistant referee’s flag shot up.

[Oh, no! The flag’s up!]

The roar of celebration from the AZ Alkmaar players was cut short as reality sank in.

Fweeee!~

The referee blew his whistle, signaling offside. Altidore stood frozen for a moment, glancing toward the linesman in disbelief.

David groaned. [That is brutal! They thought they had it!]

Marco exhaled. [It’s the right call, though. Just a fraction, but Altidore was off when Benjamin played the pass]

The replay confirmed it—Altidore had drifted just half a step ahead of the last defender before Benjamin’s pass. It was close, too close.

David sighed. [You have to feel for AZ Alkmaar. Down to ten men in the early stages of the first half, and they’re still creating chances, still fighting. That was nearly the moment]

Altidore ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear on his face. Benjamin placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a few quiet words before jogging back into position.

Udinese took the free kick quickly, looking to take advantage of AZ Alkmaar’s heartbreak.

Muriel received the ball near midfield and turned sharply, driving forward at pace.

[Udinese looking to strike while the iron’s hot!]

He threaded a pass through to Pereyra, who surged into the 18 yard box. The AZ Alkmaar defense scrambled back, but the danger was real. Pereyra shaped to shoot—

—but out of nowhere, Martens slid in with a perfectly timed tackle, knocking the ball away!

[What a challenge! Henriksen with a game-saving intervention!]

The ball ricocheted out to Elm, who wasted no time launching a long pass toward Benjamin once again. The counter was on.

[Here comes AZ Alkmaar! They refuse to back down!]

The clock ticked toward halftime, but neither team showed signs of slowing. The match had turned into a battle of resilience, of pure will. One moment of magic, one mistake, could decide everything.

[This is what football is all about! Who will find the breakthrough?]

The tension inside the stadium aurged towards a boiling point. AZ Alkmaar continued to play with an almost reckless defiance. Udinese, sensing an opportunity, pressed high, trying to force a mistake from their backline.

Pereyra collected a loose ball near the center circle, his quick feet allowing him to slip past Henriksen. He surged forward, spotting Di Natale making a darting run between the center-backs.

[This could be dangerous! Di Natale’s in space!]

Pereyra lifted a delicate chip over the top, perfectly weighted for the veteran striker. The ball dropped just inside the 18-yard box—

—but Alvarado was there again, rushing off his line to smother it before Di Natale could take a touch!

[Alvarado to the rescue once more! He is keeping AZ Alkmaar alive!]

David let out a breath. [That’s top goalkeeping. He had to get that right, or it’s a penalty]

Marco nodded. [And look at him—no time wasted, he wants them moving forward!]

Alvarado quickly got to his feet and launched the ball out wide to Martens, who immediately pushed it down the line to Berghuis.

The Udinese players were caught off guard and forced to sprint back into position.

[Can AZ Alkmaar capitalize on the counter and draw level before the halftime whistle?]

Berghuis controlled the ball with ease and drove forward. Benjamin was already making a diagonal run on the left wing, anticipating the pass.

Berghuis spotted him and delivered a low through ball that split two defenders.

[That’s a brilliant pass! Benjamin is on the move!]

Benjamin’s speed took him past the last defender, and suddenly, he was one-on-one with Brkić. The crowd held its breath as he shaped to shoot—but instead, he faked, cutting the ball onto his right foot to wrong-foot the keeper.

[Oh, that’s clever! He’s gone past the keeper—]

Benjamin fired toward the open net—but a last-second sliding block from Danilo stopped it on the goal line!

[Unbelievable! Udinese survives by the slimmest of margins!]

David shook his head. [Benjamin did everything right, but Danilo just never gave up. What a clearance!]

Marco exhaled. [That was it. That was the moment!]