In the 62nd minute, they had a penalty appeal. Their striker went down in the box under a challenge from Mark. The referee waved it away. It was a brave decision. It could have gone either way. The system flashed: [Penalty Appeal: 60% Chance]. We had dodged a bullet. Again.
In the 68th minute, it happened. The moment we had drilled on Tuesday night. The transition. We won the ball deep in our own half. Big Dave, instead of hoofing it clear, rolled it out to Scott. Scott, without looking, played a first-time pass to JJ, who had already started his sprint.
The counter-attack was on. JJ, his pace a blur against their slow centre-backs, raced towards goal. He got his shot away, a powerful, driven effort, but their goalkeeper made a brilliant save. It wasn't a goal, but it was a statement. It was proof that we weren't just here to defend. We were here to win.
And then, in the 78th minute, our moment arrived. Another counter-attack, another foul on JJ. A free-kick, thirty yards from goal, wide on the right. The system flashed: [Set Piece Opportunity: High]. This was it. This was the moment for "Cascade."
I caught Baz's eye. He nodded. He knew. As he trotted over to the ball, I watched the opposition set up their zonal marking system, just as the scouting report had predicted. They were arrogant. They were complacent. They had no idea what was about to hit them.
Baz began his run-up. As he did, two of my players made decoy runs to the near post, dragging two defenders with them. Another player stood in front of the goalkeeper, blocking his line of sight.
It was the "Cascade" routine, executed to perfection. The ball curled not towards the goal, but towards the back post, into the space we had created. And there was Mark Crossley, my other centre-back, arriving like a steam train, unmarked, unstoppable. He met the ball with a thundering header that flew into the back of the net. 1-0. Pandemonium.
[SYSTEM] Achievement Unlocked: 'Giant-Killer (First Blood)'.
[SYSTEM] XP Bonus: +200.
The final twelve minutes were an eternity of beautiful, glorious suffering. They threw everything at us. Their manager was screaming on the touchline, his face purple with rage.
Their players were fouling us, kicking us, trying to intimidate us into submission. In the 85th minute, their star striker found a yard of space in the box. He unleashed a shot that was destined for the top corner.
But Big Dave, my magnificent, heroic goalkeeper, flew through the air and tipped it over the bar. It was the save of his life. It was the save that won us the cup tie. The system flashed: [Player Morale: Heroic]. The players were running on pure adrenaline, on pure belief. They were a team of lions. A team of warriors. A team of giant-killers.
Baz was limping. Mark was bleeding from a cut above his eye. Kev was cramping. But no one came off. They were warriors. They were heroes. I looked at the clock. Three minutes of added time. Three minutes of hell.
Three minutes of holding on for dear life. Three minutes of writing our names into history. The system was flashing constant warnings: [Player Stamina: Critical], [Team Cohesion: Strained]. But the players were ignoring the pain, ignoring the fatigue. They were fighting for each other, for the shirt, for the badge. They were fighting for me.
When the final whistle blew, the emotion was overwhelming. The players collapsed. Our small band of supporters invaded the pitch. We had done it. We had achieved the impossible. We were giant-killers.
As I soaked it all in, the system flashed up one final notification.
[SYSTEM] Quest Completed: 'The Giant-Killers'.
[SYSTEM] Massive XP Bonus Awarded: 200 XP.
[SYSTEM] LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 4.
[SYSTEM] New Skill Tree Tier Unlocked: 'Tactical Mastery – Advanced'.
It was the perfect end to the perfect day. We had not just won a football match. We had made a statement. Our cup run had begun. And I suspected it was going to be a special one.
I thought about the journey so far. The first disastrous training session. The first win. The discovery of JJ. The unbeaten run.
The rematch against Marcus Chen. And now, this. This glorious, impossible victory. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions, a journey of highs and lows, of triumphs and disasters. But through it all, we had grown.
We had become a team. We had become a family. And as I looked at the league table, at our name in second place, just two points behind the leaders, I knew that our journey was far from over. The cup run was just the beginning. The title race was on. And we were ready for it.
I also took a moment to reflect on the game itself. The system had been invaluable, providing me with the scouting reports, the tactical suggestions, the real-time data that had allowed me to make the right decisions at the right moments.
But it was the players who had won the game. It was their courage, their discipline, their heart. The system was a tool, a powerful tool, but it was nothing without the human element.
It was nothing without the players who were willing to put their bodies on the line, to fight for every ball, to believe in the impossible. And that, I realized, was the true beauty of football. It was the perfect fusion of art and science, of data and passion, of tactics and heart. And I was lucky enough to be a part of it.
As the celebrations died down, as the players slowly made their way back to the changing room, I took one last look at the pitch. This was where we had written our names into the history of this cup. This was where we had become giant-killers. And this was just the beginning.
***
Author's Note:
For those of you who, like me, are obsessed with the beautiful game, here's a look at the Manchester Sunday League Division 2 table after 18 games. The title race is on!
| 1 | The Merchant Bankers | 44 |
| 2 | Chorlton FC | 37 |
| 3 | Newton Heath Tilers | 34 |
| 4 | Ashton United Reserves | 31 |
| 5 | The Railway Arms | 23 |
| 6 | Salford Scorpions | 22 |
| 7 | Trafford Park Rangers | 21 |
| 8 | Moss Side Wanderers | 20 |
| 9 | Stretford Athletic | 18 |
| 10 | Old Trafford Casuals | 16 |
| 11 | Hulme FC | 12 |
| 12 | Whalley Range United | 8 |
Look at that journey! When I first arrived, we were dead last with zero points from eight games.
Now we're 5th, with 23 points, having climbed seven positions up the table. Yes, that goal difference of -34 is still a painful reminder of those early disasters, but it tells the story of where we've been and how far we've come.
Marcus Chen's Merchant Bankers are running away with the title on 44 points, but we're not chasing them anymore. We're building something. With 26 games still to play in this marathon 44-game season, anything is possible. A top-three finish is within reach. And more importantly, we've proven we belong.
Instead of each team facing each other twice, the teams here face each other 4 times each season.
**
END OF ARC 2 OF VOLUME 1
Thank you for 60 Power Stones.
Sorry for the late post forgot to set timer
***