Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 256: Tit For Tat

Chapter 256: Tit For Tat

The second half was moments away.

Players emerged from the tunnel, their faces set with focus. Anfield, still buzzing from the first half, erupted into a mix of cheers and whistles.

The Liverpool fans were urging their team forward. The away section? A sea of red and white, voices rising in anticipation.

Jamie Carter: [Here we go, Rob. The second half is about to begin, and I don’t think anyone here is ready to breathe easy just yet.]

Rob Townsend: [Not after what we saw in the first half. AZ Alkmaar struck first, Liverpool responded, and both goalkeepers have been outstanding. But now, it’s a test of mentality. Who wants this more?]

As the players took their positions, Gerrard clapped his hands, rallying his team. Benjamin stood near the center circle, rolling his shoulders, eyes locked ahead. His mind was clear. No distractions. Just the game.

The referee checked his watch.

Fweeeee!~

The second half was underway.

Liverpool came out aggressive, pushing numbers forward. Johnson raced down the right flank, linking up with Sterling. A quick one-two put Sterling in a pocket of space. He darted inside, his speed electric, before laying it off to Suárez.

Rob Townsend: [And straight away, Liverpool are on the front foot! Suárez—]

The Uruguayan didn’t hesitate. He turned sharply, shaking off Viergever, then fired a low shot toward the bottom corner.

Alvarado saw it late. He dived, his fingertips brushing the ball just enough to push it around the post.

Jamie Carter: [ALVARADO AGAIN! How many times is this man going to save AZ Alkmaar?]

The goalkeeper bounced up quickly, barking orders at his defenders. He wasn’t impressed. Liverpool were finding space too easily.

The corner was taken short. Enrique whipped it in. Agger rose highest, powering a header down toward goal.

Blocked.

The ball spilled loose in the 18 yard box. Scramble followed with legs flying. A blur of movement.

Gerrard swung his boot—

Cleared!

Henriksen, standing strong, launched the ball upfield. The immediate danger was gone, but Liverpool weren’t slowing down.

Rob Townsend: [AZ Alkmaar need to settle here. Liverpool have come out like a team possessed.]

Jamie Carter: [They smell blood, Rob. AZ Alkmaar need to weather this storm.]

Benjamin moved into space, reading the game. His eyes flicked toward the sideline. Gertjan Verbeek stood there with his arms crossed, watching. No panic, just observing.

Then came the moment.

Lucas, controlling possession in midfield, looked for a pass. He took too long.

Martens pounced. Quick with his press and stole the ball.

Suddenly, AZ Alkmaar had space to run.

Rob Townsend: [And here they go! AZ Alkmaar can counter—]

Martens wasted no time. He slipped it through to Benjamin, who turned and sprinted into the open field.

Jamie Carter: [This is where he’s at his best!]

Liverpool’s defense scrambled. Agger and Carragher backpedaled, but Benjamin was already picking up speed.

He glanced up. Berghuis was making a run to his right. Altidore was on his left, peeling away from Carragher.

Benjamin had options.

Jamie Carter: [Liverpool are stretched! Benjamin has choices here—what does he do?]

He kept driving forward. The defenders hesitated, unsure whether to close him down or block the passing lanes.

That moment of doubt was all he needed.

Benjamin feinted right, making it look like he was sending Berghuis through. Agger took the bait, shifting slightly toward the winger.

With a quick touch, Benjamin cut left.

Suddenly, he was past Agger and into the 18 yard box.

Rob Townsend: [Oh, that’s brilliant! He’s taken Agger out of the picture!]

Carragher lunged, trying to recover. Benjamin saw it coming.

With a subtle touch he knocked the ball away from the defender’s reach—just enough to stay in stride, but his steps were starting to wobble due to not being balanced.

Soon he was one-on-one with Reina.

Jamie Carter: [Benjamin to put AZ Alkmaar ahead—]

He went for placement, opening his body and curling a shot toward the far corner.

Reina reacted. He dived, stretching every inch of his frame.

The ball curled perfectly but rolled just wide off the post.

Gasps filled Anfield.

Benjamin exhaled sharply, hands on his head. He had beaten the defense, beaten the moment—but not the post.

Rob Townsend: [Oh, that was close! Benjamin did everything right—except find the net!]

Jamie Carter: [You could see what he was trying to do. He had Reina wrong-footed, just needed it a few inches inside the post. That could’ve changed everything!]

Reina sat up, exhaling in relief before waving his team forward. Liverpool weren’t waiting.

He launched the ball downfield, looking for Suárez. The Uruguayan controlled it instantly, shielding it from Henriksen before flicking it out wide to Sterling.

The winger didn’t hesitate. He sprinted down the touchline, pushing Viergever onto the back foot.

Rob Townsend: [Liverpool are flying forward now—Sterling, in full stride!]

He cut inside, skipping past a desperate lunge. The crowd roared as he broke into the final third.

Benjamin, still recovering from his missed chance, turned and sprinted back.

Sterling played it inside to Suárez, who took one touch and swiveled. Then he fired.

Jamie Carter: [Suárez—]

The shot was low and fast. Alvarado saw it late. But his reflexes were sharp.

He got down, his left hand stretching out just enough to let his fingertips push the ball onto the post.

CLANG!~

The ball ricocheted out, rolling dangerously across the goalmouth.

Jamie Carter: [Alvarado again! That should’ve been 2-1!]

Rob Townsend: [He’s keeping AZ Alkmaar alive! But Liverpool aren’t done yet—]

Gerrard stormed in, meeting the loose ball at full stride. He struck it first-time, through a sea of bodies.

Defenders lunged. Altidore threw himself in the way. The ball deflected—out for a corner.

Anfield erupted.

Liverpool’s players threw their arms up, demanding more from the crowd. The intensity was rising with every passing second.

Jamie Carter: [This is relentless! AZ Alkmaar need to find a way to slow this game down, or Liverpool will find a breakthrough!]

Rob Townsend: [They’re hanging on, but how much longer can they hold?]

Benjamin stood near the edge of the 18 yard box, hands on his knees, catching his breath. His missed chance still lingered in his mind, but there was no time to dwell.