Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 42: Showing Progress

Chapter 42: Showing Progress

**21-08-2012**

"Here! Here!" Benjamin called out in a sharp and clear voice as he darted into space while his hand raised to signal for the ball.

Martens who was wearing a matching red bib with Benjamin, spotted him from the center of the makeshift pitch and fired a tricky low pass through the narrow gap between two defenders in front of him.

The ball skimmed the grass while spinning slightly as it reached Benjamin’s feet.

With a quick touch to pause his run, Benjamin controlled it and scanned the field in a single glance.

His marker, Marcellis, closed in fast to avoid giving him enough time and room to think, but Benjamin was quick to react.

He feinted left before cutting sharply to his right, leaving Mercellis with outstretched hands and trying to bring him down but Benjamin was quite nimble as he avoided the pair of clippers.

The move gave Benjamin just enough room to surge forward while his eyes locked on Berghuis making a run on the far side.

"Switch it, Ben!" Viktor Elm called out, his voice carrying above the scuffle of boots on the field and the echoing the tactical instructions from Coach Verbeek.

Benjamin complied without hesitation and he launched a diagonal pass with his left foot which had was currently as good as his right foot. The ball sailed over the heads of the blue bib team’s defenders, landing perfectly in Berghuis’s path.

"Good! That’s it!" Gertjan Verbeek’s gruff voice rang out from the sideline, breaking through the controlled chaos of the scrimmage. He stood with his arms crossed on his chest and a clipboard tucked under one arm as he nodded approvingly.

The growth rate of the young lad had left him lost for words. Having a high success rate of besting experienced defenders in one-v-one situations while also keeping a calm head to be selfless was astonishing at such a young age.

Martin Haar was also standing beside him with a mirrored expression as he scribbled notes furiously while occasionally muttering to Verbeek. The two men spoke in low tones and ltheir sharp gazes darted across the field as they assessed every movements and decisions made by the players.

"Blue bibs, close down the space quicker," Verbeek barked commands and his tone cut through the field like a whip. "Red team, keep the tempo up and catch them off guard while using the width!"

The game flowed seamlessly as both sides pressed hard to impress Gertjan Verbeek as every pass and tackle carrying intent. The red bibs were much in sync as they executed Gertjan Verbeek’s high-press tactics without any lapses.

They hunted aggressively in packs while also closing down space whenever the blue bibs tried to build from the back.

Benjamin was now hovering near the edge of the penalty box as he watched the play develop. Viktor Elm intercepted a loose pass from the opposing midfield and immediately threading the ball forward to Marcus Henrikson.

"Benjamin, go!" Henrikson shouted before flicking the ball into Benjamin’s path with a deft touch.

Benjamin didn’t hesitate after bringing the ball in control with raised boots. He sprinted toward the box and the thud of his boots on the turf was drowned out by the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

A blue bib defender lunged towards him, but Benjamin sidestepped neatly while flicking the ball over the defender’s outstretched leg and his focus remained unbroken.

"Shoot!" came the chorus of voices of his teammates, coaches and maybe even the echoes in his head.

Benjamin swung his foot through the ball and It shot off like a missile locked on a target. The ball flew with pace, curving slightly before slamming into the top corner of the net as the goalkeeper couldn’t react in time.

The red bib team erupted into cheers, with Martens clapping and slapping Benjamin on the back.

"Not bad, Ben," Martens said with a smirk.

Benjamin grinned while catching his breath. "Just lucky," he modestly replied, though the glint in his eyes told another story.

From the sideline, Gertjan Verbeek gave a slow nod of approval. "Good strike. That’s what I want to see," he said, his voice calm but firm. "But remember, it’s not just about scoring. Your positioning and awareness—that’s what wins games."

Martin Haar tapped the clipboard with his pen, adding, "And communication, too. Keep talking out there to get familiar with each other’s best qualities, it would be of much help to us on the pitch. You should know that a quiet team is a losing team."

The players took in the advice from the bosses and regrouped to resume the scrimmage, the blue bibs were now itching to even the score.

As the scrimmage resumed, Benjamin adjusted his bib and jogged back into position with his mind already running through the next play.

The training session wore on with the intensity never dipping. The players were determined to impress the coach and earn or even, cement a place in the starting lineup.

Overtoom was one player with such intensions, having caused his team to loose points both in the opening game against Ajax and the previous one against Heracles Almelo.

Gertjan Verbeek’s voice became a constant presence as he stood at the side while issuing commands, correcting mistakes, and praising moments of brilliance from the players.

Every player, right from seasoned veterans like Martens, Altidore, Reijnen to newcomers like Henrikson, Benjamin and Adam, gave everything they had while knowing that Coach Verbeek expected nothing less.

As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the 40 minutes scrimmage, Benjamin bent over and placed his hands on his knees while sweat kept dripping onto the grass. He looked up at the scoreboard Gertjan Verbeek had set up prior to the scrimmage—a narrow 3-2 win for the red bibs.

"Good session," Gertjan Verbeek said as his tone appeared neutral but was tinged with approval. "But don’t get too comfortable. The mistakes have been made and it’s all behind us now. What we have to do now is to start fixing them, starting with Anzhi Makhachkala on thursday night. Rest up and we go again with the same intensity next time."

The players nodded, some muttering quietly as they began to disperse. Benjamin walked off the pitch alongside the captain Martens.

"Not bad for your first full scrimmage in red bibs, looks like you’ve earned the manager’s trust. You should do well to build on that." Martens said while clapping him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, captain." Benjamin replied, his tone modest but resolute. "I hope that’s the case, but even then, there’s still a lot to work on."

Martens laughed, "That’s the spirit. Keep that attitude, and you’ll go far."

Benjamin smiled faintly as they headed toward the locker room, his legs felt heavy but his resolve to double...no triple his efforts was even stronger.