Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 287: Pandemonium 2

Chapter 287: Pandemonium 2

Altidore surged forward, his powerful strides eating up the ground. The Den Haag defenders were retreating, desperate to keep up.

Coutinho stood his ground, bracing himself as Altidore approached the 18 yard box.

Chris: [It’s one-on-one! Can Altidore finish this?]

Altidore shifted the ball onto his right foot. A quick look at goal. He swung his boot through it—

The strike was clean. The ball whistled past Coutinho’s outstretched fingers—

Rob: [Altidore—]

CRACK!

The ball smacked against the post, rattling the frame of the goal before bouncing back into play.

Chris: [It’s off the post!]

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Altidore stood frozen, watching the ball roll away from danger. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped.

Rob: [Unbelievable! It had to be!]

Henriksen sprinted forward, trying to pounce on the rebound, but Coutinho was quicker. He dived on the loose ball, wrapping his arms around it as AZ Alkmaar players threw their hands in the air in frustration.

Chris: [How many more chances are going to slip away?!]

The stadium buzzed with disbelief. That could have been it. That should have been it.

Coutinho took his time getting up, squeezing every last second out of the moment. He glanced at the referee, who wasn’t interested in rushing him.

Then, the fourth official stepped forward, holding up the board.

Rob: [And here comes the stoppage time announcement! Five more minutes!]

A roar erupted from the stands. Five minutes for one last twist in this chaotic match.

Chris: [That’s plenty of time for another chance!]

Den Haag players groaned in frustration, knowing they still had work to do. AZ Alkmaar players found a second wind, knowing they had one final push left in them.

Rob: [Five minutes to find a winner. Five minutes to survive. What a finish we have ahead of us!]

Coutinho finally launched the ball upfield, and the battle resumed.

The ball soared through the night sky, spinning toward midfield as players jostled for position. Holla rose highest, his forehead meeting the ball with force, directing it back into AZ Alkmaar’s half.

Chris: [Den Haag aren’t sitting back! They want to win this!]

Kramer reacted first, chesting it down before flicking it wide to Van Duinen, who wasted no time in pushing forward. The crowd roared, urging him on as he sprinted down the left flank.

Rob: [They’re stretching the defense here!]

Van Duinen hesitated for a split second, waiting for support. Holla made a late run to the edge of the 18 yard box, calling for it. Van Duinen obliged, cutting the ball back—

Intercepted! Henriksen read it perfectly, stepping in to take possession. He turned sharply and immediately launched a counterattack.

Chris: [And here comes AZ Alkmaar!]

Henriksen powered forward, his long strides covering ground quickly. Adam Maher sprinted alongside him, and on the far right, Berghuis was already in full flight.

Rob: [They’ve got numbers here!]

Henriksen threaded a pass to Maher, who flicked it first-time into Berghuis’s path. The winger took a touch, steadying himself as the Den Haag defense scrambled to recover.

Chris: [This is danger for Den Haag!]

Berghuis cut inside onto his stronger left foot, the crowd rising in anticipation. He had options—Altidore in the middle, Maher arriving late—but he wanted this for himself.

Rob: [Berghuis—he’s going for goal!]

He let fly. A wicked, curling effort that looked destined for the top corner—

Coutinho flew across his goal, stretching every muscle—

Fingertips!

Chris: [What a save!]

The Den Haag keeper barely got a touch, but it was enough. The ball skimmed off his glove and ricocheted off the crossbar before bouncing back into the six-yard box.

Rob: [The ball’s still loose!]

Altidore pounced, lunging forward with his right boot—

Blocked! Wuytens threw himself in front of it, the ball smacking against his knee before spinning away for a corner.

Chris: [Bodies on the line! Den Haag are hanging on by a thread!]

The AZ Alkmaar players could barely believe it. Hands on hips, staring at the goal as if it had betrayed them.

Rob: [How is this still 1-1?!]

Berghuis raced over to take the corner, placing the ball down with care. He lifted a hand, signaling for movement. The 18 yard box was packed, players shoving, pulling, jostling for space.

The delivery was whipped in—

Viergever rose, meeting it with a glancing header—

Chris: [Viergever—]

Cleared off the line! Again!

Rob: [This is unbelievable!]

The ball spilled to Adam Maher at the edge of the 18 yard box. One touch to control, another to shoot—

Chris: [Adam Maher—]

Coutinho saved! A strong right hand pushing it away!

The rebound fell to Berghuis again, who swung his left foot at it—

Another block!

Den Haag hacked it away, anywhere would do. The ball landed near the halfway line, and suddenly, the counter was on.

Chris: [Here comes Den Haag! It’s end-to-end now!]

Kramer sprinted onto the loose ball, shrugging off a challenge. The AZ Alkmaar defenders were caught high up the pitch, scrambling to get back.

Rob: [This could be it!]

Kramer had only one defender to beat. He feinted left, then went right, bursting into the box. Esteban Alvarado rushed out—

A low strike—

Chris: [Kramer—]

Saved! Alvarado got down quickly, his body smothering the ball!

Rob: [Heroic goalkeeping!]

The AZ Alkmaar keeper wasted no time. He leapt to his feet and hurled the ball out wide to Berghuis, starting yet another counter.

Chris: [They’re going again!]

Berghuis darted down the right, skipping past a tired challenge. The Den Haag players were drained, struggling to keep up.

Rob: [They’re running on fumes, but they have to keep going!]

Berghuis reached the final third, lifting his head. Altidore was already in the box, arms outstretched, calling for it.

The cross was pinpoint.

Chris: [Perfect delivery—]

Altidore rose, towering above the defender—

A powerful header—

Rob: [Altidore!]

The ball smashed against the crossbar!

Chris: [No way!]

Gasps echoed around the stadium. The ball bounced straight down, inches from the goal line, before being desperately booted away.

Rob: [I don’t believe this!]

Altidore fell to his knees, his hands gripping his head. The AZ Alkmaar bench looked on in shock. Den Haag defenders collapsed to the ground, completely drained.

The referee checked his watch. Three minutes remaining.

Chris: [Seconds remaining! This might be the final attack!]

Den Haag took their time with the goal kick.