The whistle blows.
Everything's silent. I hear the pounding of my heart. It's the U-19 DFB-Pokal. Stuttgart vs Hoffenheim.
The moment we have all been training our ass off for is now happening, right here, right now.
The ball rolls into play. The tension snaps.
Hoffenheim are putting on the pressure right from the start. Nothing to worry about though. At the heart of our defense is Joestar. He's capable of shutting them down. And with our midfield prodigy Dummy, we shouldn't have too much trouble building up play.
Or at least, I hope we do.
The game's fast. Almost too fast.
But my body is moving through pure instinct. I chase down every pass, looking for the gaps...
Waiting for the moment.
Their defense is tighter than expected though. Every time I get the ball, I'm marked, closed down. Frustration builds up. Gotta push it aside. Focus. Stay sharp.
25 minutes in. Dummy makes his move.
I see him turn on the halfway line and our eyes meet for a split second.
He knows what I want.
He passes the ball right into my path. I don't hesitate. I can't. I take the shot. My foot connects with the ball and for a second, I feel hope.
But their keeper’s good. Too good. He gets a hand to it, tipping it just wide.
Fuck.
Joestar yells from the backline, urging us to keep pushing. The game’s still tight, 0-0, and every second matters.
They are tough, but so are we.
The concept of time is lost. There's no sense of when a minute has been passed.
Tackles, passes, runs.
My legs are heavy, but I can’t slow down.
Joestar’s throwing himself into every challenge, keeping us in the game.
Dummy’s everywhere, trying to break them down, but it feels like a wall we just can’t get past.
And then, in the 89th minute, it happens.
Joestar intercepts a pass, and before our opponents can react, he launches the ball forward. Dummy’s already sprinting, and I’m moving too. The ball reaches him first, and I see his head turn, searching for me.
I’m making the run.
I know he sees it.
The ball comes through, curling perfectly into my path.
It’s just me now. Me, the ball, and the goal.
I take a touch, pushing it ahead. The keeper’s charging out, trying to close the angle, but I’m focused. My heart’s racing, but my mind is clear.
The two defenders are closing in fast from either side. One more second, and they’ll be on me.
No time to think. I pull my foot back, ready to strike.
Everything narrows.
The roar of the crowd fades.
This is it.
I swing my leg forward.
YOU ARE READING
GNS: A Rising Striker
ActionWe follow LuffyX, a young and promising striker from Stuttgart. Who knows what unexpected turns his life might take?
