FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER
Chapter 234: The Magic Touch

Chapter 234: The Magic Touch

The second half began with the same pattern as the first. Utrecht probing, Heracles defending, the crowd growing increasingly restless. But there was a different energy in the stadium now, an anticipation that something was about to change.

Van Gelder’s voice carried that sense of expectation as he described the early exchanges. "Utrecht starting the second half much as they finished the first - lots of possession but struggling to create clear chances. Heracles continuing to defend in numbers, staying compact and disciplined."

In the 52nd minute, Utrecht had another half-chance. Duplan’s cross from the right found Mulenga in the penalty area, but the striker’s header was straight at Castro. The Heracles goalkeeper gathered the ball calmly, his confidence growing with every save.

But it was what happened next that sent the stadium into a frenzy of anticipation.

Amani rose from the bench and began jogging toward the touchline, his movements immediately spotted by the cameras and the crowd. The noise level in the Galgenwaard increased dramatically as 24,000 supporters realized their hero was about to enter the fray.

Bruggink’s excitement was evident in his voice. "Here we go, Jack. Amani Hamadi is warming up on the touchline. The crowd have spotted him, and listen to that noise! This is exactly what Utrecht need - a moment of magic to unlock this Heracles defense."

The warm-up routine was brief but purposeful. Amani stretched his legs, took a few practice shots at the goal, and exchanged words with the coaching staff. His internal system was already processing the tactical situation, identifying the spaces that Heracles had left unguarded, the patterns in their defensive movement that could be exploited.

The fourth official, Erwin Blank, was preparing the substitution board. The number 37 - Amani’s squad number - was clearly visible as he held it aloft, waiting for the right moment to make the change.

Van Gelder’s voice captured the electricity in the stadium. "The fourth official is preparing to make a substitution. Number 37 - that’s Amani Hamadi. The crowd are on their feet, they know what’s coming."

The substitution came in the 58th minute. Édouard Duplan, who had worked tirelessly on the right wing without reward, was the player sacrificed. As he jogged toward the touchline, he exchanged a brief handshake with Amani, passing on tactical information about Heracles’ defensive setup.

The moment Amani stepped onto the pitch, the atmosphere changed completely. The crowd’s noise reached a crescendo, their voices combining into a wall of sound that seemed to energize every Utrecht player. Even the Heracles defenders looked nervous, their compact shape suddenly seeming less secure.

Bruggink’s analysis was immediate and insightful. "The psychological impact of this substitution cannot be overstated. Heracles have been comfortable for 58 minutes, but now they’re facing a player who can create something from nothing. Their entire defensive mindset has to change."

Amani’s first touch came in the 61st minute, a simple pass from van der Maarel that he controlled effortlessly before laying off to Ayoub. But even that simple exchange drew cheers from the crowd, their anticipation building with every moment.

His internal system was already working, processing the positioning of every Heracles player, identifying the spaces between their lines, calculating the optimal angles for passes and shots. The information flowed through his consciousness like a tactical computer, invisible to everyone around him but providing him with insights that no other player possessed.

In the 64th minute, the breakthrough came, and it was everything the crowd had been waiting for.

Utrecht had been building an attack down the left side, with Gerndt and Nana Asare combining to create space. The ball was worked back to Anouar Kali in the center circle, who looked up to see Amani making a run into the penalty area.

The pass from Kali was good but not perfect, arriving at Amani’s feet with a slight bobble that would have troubled most players. But Amani’s first touch was supernatural - a delicate cushion that brought the ball under perfect control while simultaneously setting up his shooting angle.

What happened next was pure magic. Without even looking up, Amani struck the ball with his right foot, employing the dipping shot technique that had become his trademark. The ball rose initially, seeming to hang in the air for an impossible moment, before dipping viciously just as it reached Castro.

The Heracles goalkeeper, who had been so confident throughout the match, was caught completely off guard. He scrambled desperately to reach the ball, but it was already nestling in the top corner of his net.

Van Gelder’s voice exploded with excitement. "HAMADI! GOOOOOOOAL! What a first touch! What an absolutely incredible first touch! He’s only been on the pitch for six minutes and he’s broken the deadlock!"

The Galgenwaard erupted. 24,000 people rose as one, their voices combining into a roar of pure joy and relief. The frustration of the first 64 minutes was forgotten in an instant, replaced by the euphoria that only Amani seemed capable of creating.

Bruggink’s analysis was breathless with admiration. "That is why he’s special. That is why every big club in Europe wants him. First touch, perfect control, and a finish that defied the laws of physics. Absolutely incredible."

Amani’s celebration was understated but emotional. He ran toward the corner flag, arms outstretched, his face beaming with the joy of a player who had just solved an impossible puzzle. His teammates mobbed him, but he could see beyond them to the faces in the crowd - supporters who had been frustrated and anxious just moments before, now delirious with happiness.

The goal completely changed the dynamic of the match. Heracles, who had been so comfortable in their defensive shell, suddenly found themselves chasing the game. Their compact shape began to stretch as they pushed forward in search of an equalizer, creating exactly the spaces that Utrecht had been looking for all afternoon.

In the 71st minute, Amani provided his first assist, and it was a moment of pure vision that left even the television commentators struggling for words.

Utrecht had won a free kick on the left side of the pitch, about 35 yards from goal. Most players would have seen it as a crossing opportunity, a chance to put the ball into the penalty area and hope for the best. But Amani’s enhanced spatial awareness showed him something different.

He had spotted Yassin Ayoub making a late run from deep, timing his movement to arrive at the edge of the penalty area just as the ball would reach him. The pass that followed was inch-perfect - a curling ball that bypassed three Heracles defenders and found Ayoub in acres of space.

The midfielder’s finish was clinical, a low drive that Castro had no chance of reaching.

Van Gelder’s voice carried pure wonder as he described the assist. "Ayoub! Two-nil! But what a pass from Hamadi! How did he even see that run? The vision, the execution - it was absolutely perfect!"

The crowd’s celebration was even louder than for the first goal. They were witnessing something special, something that transcended normal football and entered the realm of art. Amani had been on the pitch for just 13 minutes, but he had already transformed the match completely.

Bruggink’s analysis captured the magnitude of what they were witnessing. "This is what separates the good players from the great ones. Amani doesn’t just score goals and create assists - he sees the game differently from everyone else. That pass to Ayoub was pure genius."

The media in the press box were frantically typing, trying to capture the magic they were witnessing. Headlines were already being written: "THE SUBSTITUTE’S MASTERCLASS," "AMANI’S MAGIC TOUCH," "THE BOY WHO SEES EVERYTHING."

Social media was exploding with clips of both the goal and the assist, fans around the world sharing their amazement at what the young Utrecht star was producing. The hashtag #AmaniMagic was trending within minutes, as supporters tried to find words to describe what they had just witnessed.

But Amani wasn’t finished. In the 78th minute, he provided his second assist, and it was perhaps even more impressive than the first.

Heracles had thrown caution to the wind in their search for a way back into the match, pushing more players forward and leaving gaps in their defense. Amani’s internal system was processing these changes in real-time, identifying opportunities that wouldn’t become apparent to other players for several seconds.

When the ball came to him on the right side of the penalty area, he was surrounded by three Heracles defenders. Most players would have looked to pass backward or sideways, to maintain possession and wait for a better opportunity. But Amani’s enhanced vision showed him something that shouldn’t have been possible.

Alexander Gerndt was making a run across the face of goal, his movement taking him behind the Heracles defensive line. The angle seemed impossible - there was no direct path from Amani’s position to where Gerndt would be. But Amani’s spatial awareness allowed him to calculate a trajectory that would work.

The pass was outrageous - a backheel flick that sent the ball through the legs of one defender, around another, and perfectly into the path of Gerndt’s run. The German striker didn’t even need to break stride as he slotted the ball past Castro for Utrecht’s third goal.

Van Gelder’s voice reached a crescendo of excitement. "Gerndt! Three-nil! But that pass from Hamadi... I’ve never seen anything like it! A backheel through three defenders! That’s not football - that’s magic!"

The stadium was in complete pandemonium. Supporters were hugging strangers, jumping up and down, singing at the top of their voices. They had come expecting a routine victory, but they were witnessing something that would live in their memories forever.

Bruggink’s analysis was filled with awe. "I’m running out of superlatives for this young man. That assist... the vision, the technique, the sheer audacity of it. He’s not just playing football - he’s redefining what’s possible on a football pitch."

The final ten minutes of the match were a celebration. Heracles had given up any pretense of getting back into the game, their players looking shell-shocked by what they had witnessed. Utrecht’s supporters were in full voice, serenading their hero with chants that echoed around the stadium.

As the final whistle approached, the cameras focused on Amani, who was still creating chances for his teammates despite the comfortable scoreline. His work rate hadn’t dropped, his intensity hadn’t diminished. He was a player who understood that excellence was a habit, not an accident.

Van Gelder’s final commentary captured the magnitude of what they had witnessed. "The final whistle goes, and Utrecht win 3-0. But this match will be remembered for one thing - the 32-minute cameo from Amani Hamadi. One goal, two assists, and a performance that redefined what’s possible from a substitute."

The post-match interviews were dominated by talk of Amani’s impact. Coach Wouters, normally reserved in his praise, was effusive in his admiration.

"What Amani did today was special," he said, his voice carrying genuine wonder. "To come off the bench and change a match so completely, so quickly - that’s the mark of a truly exceptional player. He didn’t just score and assist - he transformed the entire dynamic of the game."

The statistics told only part of the story. In 32 minutes, Amani had completed 28 passes with 100% accuracy, created 4 chances, scored 1 goal, and provided 2 assists. But the numbers couldn’t capture the psychological impact of his performance, the way he had lifted his teammates and energized the crowd.

The media reaction was immediate and overwhelming. Every major sports website led with stories about his performance, analysts struggled to find comparisons for what they had witnessed, and social media was flooded with clips and commentary.

But perhaps the most telling reaction came from the Heracles players themselves. As they trudged off the pitch, several of them approached Amani to shake his hand and exchange shirts. They had been on the receiving end of something special, and they knew it.

As Amani made his way around the pitch, acknowledging the supporters who were still singing his name, he reflected on the afternoon’s work. His internal system was already analyzing the performance, identifying areas for improvement, processing the tactical lessons learned.

But beyond the analysis and statistics, he felt something deeper. He had proven once again that he could change matches, that he could create magic when it was needed most. The boy from Mombasa had become the hero of Utrecht, and performances like this were the reason why.

The cup final was just two weeks away, and if today was anything to go by, it was going to be something very special indeed.

Van Gelder’s closing words summed up the afternoon perfectly. "What a performance. What a player. What a future this young man has ahead of him. Amani Hamadi has once again shown why he’s considered one of the most exciting talents in world football. The substitute’s masterclass - we’ll be talking about this one for years to come."