Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 226: A Turning Point?

Chapter 226: A Turning Point?

As Armero waited to come on, AZ Alkmaar kept pressing. Martens received the ball again and tried to slip a pass through to Benjamin, but Basta stepped in and cleared it.

The ball fell to Badu, who took one look upfield and immediately launched it forward to Muriel again.

The Udinese forward sprinted into space, with only Johansson between him and Alvarado.

Johansson backpedaled, knowing he couldn’t match Muriel’s speed. The Colombian sized him up, feinted left, then burst to the right.

And suddenly, he was in.

[This could be it, Marco! Muriel’s through on goal!]

Alvarado rushed off his line, desperate to close the angle. Muriel lifted his head, saw the gap, and dinked the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

For a second, the entire stadium held its breath.

But fortunately and unfortunately, he ball dropped... just wide of the post.

[HE MISSED! MURIEL HAS MISSED!]

[David, how?! That was the game, right there! Udinese could have wrapped it up!]

Muriel buried his face in his hands, disbelief written all over him. Guidolin turned away in frustration, running his hands through his hair.

AZ Alkmaar were still alive, barely.

[Marco, that’s a lifeline for AZ Alkmaar. But they have to take advantage of it!]

[If they don’t, David, they’ll regret it. They won’t get many more chances]

Gertjan Verbeek knew it too. He turned back to his players and shouted one word.

"Go."

There was no more holding back. AZ Alkmaar threw everything forward for a desperate push.

Henriksen wasted no time, collecting the ball near the center circle and immediately driving forward. He had one thought in mind—find the killer pass.

Benjamin made a darting run down the left, cutting inside, while Guðmundsson sprinted wide on the right.

Altidore hovered near the edge of the 18 yard box, muscling against Danilo, waiting for his moment.

Henriksen spotted the opening. A perfectly weighted pass zipped through the tight Udinese lines, straight to Benjamin’s feet.

[That’s a great ball, David! Henriksen split them open!]

[Brazilian skill from the Dutchman, Marco! Benjamin has space—can he make something happen?]

Benjamin didn’t hesitate. He shifted the ball onto his right foot and took on Basta, feinting one way before dragging it back the other. The Udinese defender lunged, but Benjamin was already past him.

The angle was tight, but he went for it. A powerful, curling shot toward the far post.

Brkić saw it late. He dived, stretching full length—But the ball smacked off the crossbar!

CLANG!!!~

[OFF THE BAR! BENJAMIN WAS SO CLOSE!]

[David, my heart just stopped! That was nearly the equalizer!]

The ball bounced back into play, spinning wildly inside the 18 yard box. Altidore reacted first, throwing himself at it—But Danilo got a toe on it first, hacking it away desperately.

The crowd roared in frustration. The AZ Alkmaar players and supporters threw their hands up. They were so close, so painfully close.

[Marco, what more do they have to do?!]

[David, they just need that one moment of magic! Udinese are holding on by a thread!]

Gertjan Verbeek was pacing the touchline with his hands clenched into fists. He turned to his bench with a "No more waiting" expression.

"Adam! Get ready!"

Adam Maher jumped up, stripping off his jacket. A pair of fresh legs, and fresh creativity. He was AZ Alkmaar’s final roll of the dice.

But before the change could be made, Udinese struck again.

Badu intercepted Henriksen’s rushed pass and immediately played a quick one-two with Pinzi.

Suddenly, he was in space, charging toward the AZ half with Muriel and Di Natale flanking him.

[David, AZ Alkmaar are exposed! Udinese are breaking again!]

Johansson and Viergever scrambled to recover, but Badu wasn’t slowing down. He spotted Di Natale making a diagonal run and played a precise through ball into his path.

The Udinese captain took one touch, set himself, and let fly from just inside the 18 yard box.

The strike was a low, driven shot, arrowing toward the bottom corner.

Alvarado dived with his fingertips stretched out, but he ball deflected just wide.

[WHAT A SAVE! ALVARADO KEEPS AZ Alkmaar ALIVE!]

[David, that is unbelievable! Di Natale thought he’d buried it!]

Di Natale threw his hands up in frustration. Udinese’s bench was on its feet, heads in their hands. That should have been it.

But it wasn’t, AZ Alkmaar were still breathing.

The missed chance reignited AZ Alkmaar’s fire. Alvarado wasted no time, getting to his feet and punting the ball forward with urgency. The crowd fed off the energy, roaring their team forward.

Benjamin, who was still buzzing from his near goal, sprinted into space. The ball dropped in his path, and he controlled it effortlessly, pushing forward with deadly intent.

Basta, rattled from their earlier duel, closed in fast to redeem himself, but Benjamin had already seen his next move.

He took a quick touch of the ball and with a sudden burst of pace, he was gone.

[Oh, Benjamin just burned past Basta! Look at him go, David!]

[Marco, he’s been electric tonight! AZ Alkmaar can smell blood!]

But as Benjamin drove toward the 18 yard box, danger came flying in from the side. Danilo, looking desperate and reckless, lunged in with both of his feet off the ground.

CRACK!

Benjamin flipped in the air, his body twisting violently before he crashed onto the turf.

The stadium gasped.

[OH NO! THAT’S A HORRIBLE CHALLENGE!]

[David, that’s reckless! That’s dangerous! Danilo’s in serious trouble here!]

The AZ Alkmaar players swarmed the referee, shouting for action. Henriksen was livid, pointing furiously at the fallen Benjamin.

Benjamin lay motionless for a second before he slowly rolled onto his side, clutching his ankle.

The medics rushed on, while Udinese players tried to pull Danilo away, knowing what was coming.

The referee didn’t hesitate. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out—

RED CARD!

[HE’S OFF! DANILO IS SENT OFF! UDINESE ARE DOWN TO TEN!]

[Marco, no complaints there! That was reckless, that was dangerous, and now Udinese are in trouble!]