Ace of Spades: Road to The World Cup

Game 1: Passion

Football is a simple sport. 11 players on each side of the field, arrange them across 3 lines, forward, middle, and back, and kick a ball around until it enters the opposing team's goal. Anyone can follow these rules and play Football but only a select few can live Football. Only a true tactician can rise above these simple rules and push the boundaries to create a style of Footballing instantly recognizable and infinitely more terrifying to anyone who finds themselves against it. That is what it means to live Football. 

"That's such a corny quote. How do you 'live' Football?" A young teenager sinks into his seat. 

"Didn't you listen? When talent meets with tactics. Aw, my dream is to be a coach one day." The other young boy excitedly replies. These are two friends in Highschool. The young boy whos wants to one day become a coach is Sam Redwood. He's been watching Football since he was young and his friend is Ace Keegan. Ace and Sam have been friends since they meet in Elementary School and Ace has been listening to Sam talk on and on about Football. He was even inspired by his friend and he has his own dream, winning the World Cup for America. Sam as the coach and Ace on the pitch, a dynamic duo that will surely cause waves in the Footballing world.

"Whatever Sam, I think talent is more important than tactics. I guarantee I could beat anyone here, no matter the tactics." Ace smirks as his friend shakes his head disapprovingly.

"You wanna put your money where your mouth is?" A random bully in the class walks up to the two and pulls out 20 dollars, placing it firmly on the wooden desk. Sam sighs as Ace pulls out 100 Dollars, his entire savings.

"Bet this and I'll play you." Ace smirks, his eager nature and competitiveness make it impossible for him to back down from any challenge. The bell rings and the students head to a field behind the school. The entire class is interested in whatever kind of bet Ace and this bully have made.

"We'll play a 2v2. Me and my friend vs. you and the nerd." The bully smirks as he picks up the football and rolls it to Ace. He stops it with his foot and looks over at his friend, clearly uninterested in actually playing. Sam looks back and sees Ace's ablaze. His spirit is manifesting a physical form as the excitement of Football powers him. Sam reluctantly nods and Ace kicks the ball towards Sam, starting the match. They immediately rush Sam, knowing he's physically weaker and slower than the two. Sam isn't your average player however. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. Sam is a tactician on the pitch, a pure midfielder maestro. He taps the ball and threads the needle. The ball effortlessly glides through the legs of the 2 defenders and finds itself at the foot of Ace, already cocking his leg back.

"I knew you could do it Sam!" Ace slams his right foot into the ball, sending it spiraling into the top left corner of the net, giving them a 1-0 lead. The crowd roars as the ball goes in. No one likes a bully and Ace and Sam were starting to look like heroes who would finally turn the tables.

"That was pretty lucky. It's our turn now." The bully takes the ball and begins to run down the field, sprinting forward. 

"Sam! Tell me what to do!" Ace drops his hips, getting a lower center of balance as Sam begins to analyze the field. Ace's eyes begin to glow light blue as he can sense the field the way Sam does. Ace sprints towards the bully and reads his eyes. He goes for a backwards pass to the left but it's intercepted by Ace, full of adrenaline and ecstasy as he charges forward.

"The perfect goal is coming up, I can see the pitch so clearly, this will be beautiful." Ace is overcome with joy as he gets closer.

"Stop him! Don't let him shoot!" The bully closes in from behind and his friend pushes him from the front.

"Ace! You're surrounded!" Sam calls out to his friend. Ace stares down his opponents as they close in on him.

'Just a little closer...a little closer...it's over!' Ace's eyes burn bright red as he kicks the ball with force. His foot gets under the ball and he lofts it over the incoming defender. He stares in awe as he is roughly fouled by the bully from behind him. He falls to the ground as he watches the ball soar in the air until it finds itself in the top right corner, a perfectly executed chip goal.