Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 268: Deadlock Broken

Chapter 268: Deadlock Broken

Martens kept his eyes on the ball, waiting for the right moment. Mäenpää closed the gap fast with his arms spread wide to block the angle.

Chris: [Martens... dinks it over the keeper!]

The ball floated delicately over Mäenpää’s outstretched hand, spinning toward the net.

Rob: [Is it in?!]

A heartbeat of silence—then the net rippled.

Chris: [GOAL! MAARTEN MARTENS BREAKS THE DEADLOCK!]

The stadium erupted. Martens turned away, arms outstretched, a triumphant grin on his face as teammates swarmed him.

Rob: [That was pure class! Calm, composed, and lifted it beautifully over the keeper]

Chris: [AZ Alkmaar finally get their reward! They’ve been knocking, and now they’ve broken through!]

The camera cut to the VVV-Venlo players with hands on their hips, and heads shaking. They had held firm for so long, but the pressure had finally told.

Benjamin let out a long breath, nodding. That had been coming.

Gertjan Verbeek clapped on the sidelines, his expression firm but pleased. He gestured for his players to stay focused. One goal wasn’t enough.

Chris: [Now, how do VVV-Venlo respond? They’ve defended deep all game. Do they come out and take risks?]

Rob: [They have to. Sitting back won’t help them anymore]

The restart saw VVV-Venlo attempt a more aggressive approach. Their passes were sharper, their movement quicker. Linssen drifted inside, looking to combine with Giakoumakis.

Chris: [VVV-Venlo showing some urgency now. Can they find a way back?]

Rob: [They’ll have to be careful, though. AZ Alkmaar will punish them on the break]

AZ Alkmaar sat deeper, inviting the press. Henriksen snapped into a challenge, winning the ball and immediately sending it forward to Guðmundsson.

Chris: [And here they go again! AZ Alkmaar breaking at speed!]

Guðmundsson surged forward, Joppen struggling to keep pace. He had options—Berghuis peeling wide, Altidore making a central run.

Rob: [They’re outnumbering them—this could be dangerous!]

Guðmundsson delayed, waiting for the right moment—then slid a pass into the path of Altidore.

Chris: [Altidore... first-time shot!]

A powerful drive toward the bottom corner. Mäenpää flung himself low, fingertips stretching—

Rob: [Brilliant save!]

The ball deflected off the keeper’s gloves, spinning just wide of the post.

Chris: [Mäenpää keeps VVV-Venlo alive! That could’ve been game over]

Altidore clapped his hands in frustration but quickly turned, jogging back into position. The job wasn’t done yet.

AZ Alkmaar weren’t letting up. The resulting corner was taken short—Martens, sharp as ever, played a quick one-two with Berghuis before whipping in a cross.

Chris: [Martens again—back post—Henriksen!]

A thunderous header—

Rob: [Off the line!]

Promes, standing tall at the near post, had somehow kept it out. The ball bounced free—Berghuis pounced, striking through the crowd—

Chris: [Blocked again! It’s chaos in the 18 yard box!]

The ball pinballed between defenders before Seip finally hacked it away.

Rob: [How has that not gone in?! AZ Alkmaar piling on the pressure!]

Benjamin leaned forward, his hands clasped. One more goal, and this would be an excellent first half.

VVV-Venlo tried to push forward, but they lacked the sharpness needed to break down AZ Alkmaar’s defense. Time was running out before the halftime whistle.

Chris: [We’re into the final 12 minutes of the first half. VVV-Venlo need something special now]

Rob: [And look at AZ Alkmaar—still pressing, still looking for a second]

Guðmundsson picked up the ball on the right, cut inside, and floated a delicate pass over the top—Martens again, ghosting in behind.

Chris: [Martens... looking for Altidore!]

Martens let the ball drop over his shoulder, keeping his first touch soft to control the pace. He glanced up—Altidore was already moving, peeling away from his marker at the near post.

Chris: [Perfect delivery! Altidore—]

A quick shift of his body, then a sharp flick with his right foot. The ball shot toward goal—

Rob: [Altidore with the volley—Saved by Mäenpää!]

Mäenpää, again. The Finnish goalkeeper reacted sharply, stretching a strong hand to push it away. The rebound spilled toward Henriksen—

Chris: [Still alive! Henriksen—]

Rob: [Blocked! VVV-Venlo are hanging on for dear life!]

The ball ricocheted off a desperate slide from Yoshida, rolling out for another corner. The home crowd groaned in frustration, then broke into applause, urging the team on.

Benjamin exhaled, shaking his head. They were relentless, but somehow, the second goal wasn’t coming.

Chris: [How much longer can VVV-Venlo hold on before halftime? AZ Alkmaar are knocking louder and louder]

Rob: [The problem for VVV now is they’re pinned back. They can’t get out. It’s just wave after wave of pressure]

Berghuis stood over the corner, raising an arm. The delivery curled deep, aiming for Viergever at the back post—

Chris: "[Viergever—heads it back across goal!]

Rob: [Who’s there?!]

Guðmundsson who was unmarked lunged for it, and his foot made contact—

Chris: [Guðmundsson... over the bar!]

A groan rippled through the stadium as the ball flew inches too high, crashing into the advertising boards behind the goal. Guðmundsson buried his face in his hands before quickly jogging back into position.

Rob: [You can see the frustration. That was another golden chance]

Chris: [It just won’t go in for them! But give credit to VVV-Venlo—they are scrambling, blocking, doing whatever it takes to stay in this game]

Benjamin sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was football sometimes. You could dominate, create endless chances, but as long as it was only 1-0, there was always a risk.

The game settled for a few minutes, the tempo dropping slightly as both teams caught their breath.

VVV-Venlo tried to hold the ball longer, passing between their defenders, but AZ Alkmaar pressed high, refusing to let them build.

Chris: [Final five minutes of the half. If VVV-Venlo can survive, they’ll consider it a success]

Rob: [But if AZ Alkmaar score again before the break, that could kill the game]

Martens, once again, picked up the ball in midfield, constantly moving, constantly looking for an opening. He feinted one way, then spun the other, escaping a challenge before slotting a pass to Berghuis.

Chris: [Look at Martens go—he’s been everywhere today!]