Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 69: The Kristoffer Nordfeldt Show

Chapter 69: The Kristoffer Nordfeldt Show

The striker closed the distance in a flash, his powerful frame shielding the ball from the scrambling defenders.

With a quick glance, he assessed Nordfeldt’s position and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg into the bottom corner.

GOAAAAL!~

The AFAS Stadion erupted once more, the noise crashing like a tidal wave over the field.

Fans leaped from their seats, their cheers echoing throughout the stadium as Altidore raised his arms in celebration.

[The American makes it two for AZ Alkmaar!] the first commentator yelled above the din. [And it all came from that relentless press up front—they forced the error on the Heerenveen backline and capitalized immediately!]

[That’s clinical from Altidore,] the second commentator added, his tone tinged with admiration. [He didn’t panic, didn’t rush. Just a composed finish to double the lead. But Heerenveen will be kicking themselves for that mistake—it was completely avoidable]

The camera panned to the Heerenveen bench, where their manager paced furiously, gesturing at his players.

On the pitch, Zomer held his head in his hands while Nordfeldt berated loudly, his frustration evident.

[You can see the frustration on the faces of the Heerenveen players,] the first commentator observed. [They’ve been under pressure for the last ten minutes, and it finally cracked them open]

[And that’s the danger of playing against a team like AZ Alkmaar,] the second commentator replied. [If you lose focus for even a second, they’ll punish you. This could be a long night for Heerenveen]

Altidore jogged back to his half with a wide grin, his teammates surrounding him with congratulatory slaps on the back.

Benjamin was among the first to reach him, his excitement evident as he pointed back toward the Heerenveen defense, shouting instructions before the restart.

[AZ Alkmaar are brimming with confidence now,] the first commentator said as the scoreboard updated: AZ Alkmaar 2 - 0 Heerenveen. [It’s hard to see how Heerenveen can recover from this if they don’t regain their composure soon]

The stadium buzzed with energy as the players reset for the kickoff. The Heerenveen players are looking visibly rattled.

From the touchline, Gertjan Verbeek shouted encouraging words to his players, gesturing for them to maintain the intensity and search for more goalscoring opportunities.

[The home crowd is loving this,] the second commentator said, his voice almost drowned out by the chants of "AZ! AZ!" ringing through the stands. [This is exactly the kind of performance they came to see]

The ball rolled back into play with Heerenveen visibly shaken by the goal, but determined to claw their way back into the match.

Their midfield trio tried to regain control of the midfield, with de Roon dropping deeper to support the backline. But AZ Alkmaar’s press showed no signs of relenting.

[They’re like a pack of hungry wolves out there,] the first commentator remarked as Henriksen and Elm closed in on de Roon, forcing a hurried pass to van Anholt on the right flank. [Every time Heerenveen try to build from the back, AZ Alkmaar’s press is right on top of them]

[And look at how compact they are,] the second commentator added. [There’s barely any space for Heerenveen to operate. They’re being suffocated]

Van Anholt attempted a long ball toward Finnbogason on the right wing, but Viergever anticipated it perfectly, stepping forward to intercept the ball.

The defender immediately switched the play, finding Benjamin with a long diagonal pass to the left flank. The youngster controlled it with a soft touch and turned on the afterburners, racing down the left wing with immense pace.

[It’s Benjamin again! He’s been electric tonight, hasn’t he?] the first commentator exclaimed as the AZ Alkmaar fans roared in approval. [He’s got the beating of his man every single time]

Benjamin drove at Zuiverloon, who backpedaled nervously. With a couple step-overs and a burst of pace to the right, Benjamin breezed past him, cutting inside near the edge of the box.

Spotting Altidore’s run into the 18-yard box, he threaded a low through pass into the striker’s path.

Altidore turned sharply, shrugging off Zomer’s challenge, and unleashed a venomous strike with his first touch of the ball.

The ball screamed toward the top corner, but Nordfeldt produced a miraculous save, diving full stretch to tip it over the bar.

[What a save by Nordfeldt!] the first commentator shouted, his excitement matching the crowd’s collective gasp. [That could’ve been game over right there!]

[Altidore hit that with everything he had,] the second commentator chimed in. [Nordfeldt’s kept Heerenveen alive—only for now]

The resulting corner saw Benjamin step up again to take it. His delivery was inch-perfect, curling toward the penalty spot with pace.

Martens rose above everyone, meeting the ball with a thundering header, but his effort flew narrowly over the crossbar.

[So close!] the first commentator said, his voice filled with disbelief. [AZ Alkmaar are knocking on the door—they smell blood]

[Heerenveen can’t keep giving Benjamin this much space,] the second commentator warned. [He’s running the show on that left flank]

The away side tried to launch a counter, but AZ Alkmaar’s midfield was relentless.

Henriksen broke up the play with a sliding tackle, before sending the ball straight to the lone forward, Berghuis, who was lingering on the right wing.

The Dutch winger took on two defenders before cutting inside the 18-yard box and firing a low drive toward the near post.

Nordfeldt was there again, diving low to parry it away, but the rebound fell to Henriksen who was making a run into the edge of the box, and he lashed it toward goal.

This time, the central defender, Kruiswijk, threw himself in the way, blocking it with his body and clearing the danger.

[Heroic defending from Kruiswijk,] the first commentator acknowledged. [Heerenveen are just about hanging on a cotton thread]

[But how long can they hold out?] the second commentator questioned. [AZ Alkmaar are relentless right now—it’s wave after wave of deadly attacks]

The camera zoomed in on Gertjan Verbeek, who clapped his hands and urged his players forward, his voice cutting through the noise of the stadium.

[You can see Gertjan Verbeek isn’t satisfied with just two goals,] the first commentator noted. [He wants his team to keep pushing for more]

And push they did.

Benjamin picked up the ball once more in the middle of the park. His every touch of the ball was met with anticipation from the crowd.

This time around, he didn’t rush forward but instead danced past one defender before slipping a clever through pass into the path of Berghuis, who darted into the box.

Berghuis took a touch to set the ball and fired toward the far post, but Nordfeldt was equal to it again, diving with arms outstretched to make yet another save.

The Heerenveen goalkeeper got up quickly, screaming at his defenders to stay organized as both the home and away fans erupted in applause for his heroics.

[This is turning into the Kristoffer Nordfeldt show,] the first commentator said. [He’s single-handedly keeping Heerenveen in this game]

[But for how much longer? We’ve only just clocked the half-hour mark, and they’re already feeling battered and worn out] the second commentator replied.

[AZ Alkmaar are hungry for more goals, and it feels like only a matter of time before they strike again]