After stealing the ball cleanly, Alessandro immediately surged forward across the halfway line. He raised his head briefly, spotted Januzaj, and released a precise through ball.
Januzaj controlled it smoothly, cut inside, and took a shot—
Saved by Johnstone.
Januzaj buried his head in his hands, filled with regret. That had been a textbook counterattack.
All thanks to Alessandro.
Januzaj looked up and gave a grateful thumbs-up to the calm midfielder.
The main midfielder of the Olympic squad?
Terrifying!
Even the other U18 players were stunned, quickly offering high-fives as Alessandro jogged back to defend.
Though they'd only just met, the Manchester United youth team had already begun to accept him.
And Alessandro was loving it.
This was pure football.
Here, it all depended on strength. No red envelopes. No politics. No hidden deals.
Just skill. Hunger. Teamwork.
He smiled.
This was football.
Not frustration. Not injustice. Not rage—just the joy of the game.
He couldn't help but wonder:
Would football in his homeland ever reach this level of purity?
---
"Paul! What the hell are you doing?!"
Coach McGuinness was thrilled with Alessandro's composure. But on the opposing bench, Warren Joyce was fuming.
He hadn't paid Alessandro much attention. So when Pogba's errant pass led to that turnover, he didn't hold back.
The U19 star was left flustered.
Pogba had recently tasted first-team action in the Europa League, and the media had been hyping him as the crown jewel of the academy.
With Manchester United laser-focused on winning the Premier League this season—Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly preparing for a grand retirement—youth players like Pogba had gained opportunities in cup matches.
Praised for his physical prowess and technical flair, Pogba had developed a bit of an ego.
So when a total unknown embarrassed him?
He took it personally.
---
Pogba set his sights on Alessandro. They were both playing in midfield—perfect.
He tried to body him.
Didn't work.
Alessandro shrugged off the challenge, holding his ground with ease.
Pogba backed off, then tried to deceive him with feints—twisting, turning, overacting.
Alessandro remained composed.
He'd already read Lingard's intended pass.
Perfect anticipation.
Perfect timing.
He stepped in front of Pogba, used his body to shield the ball, then hooked it cleanly with his left foot.
Another successful tackle.
Pogba was stunned.
And when U19 defenders had to foul Alessandro just to stop another counter, Pogba's frustration boiled over.
---
Third attempt.
Pogba received the ball several meters away from Alessandro and charged.
Feint after feint.
Still nothing.
Alessandro crouched low, waiting.
Then Pogba shifted, trying to explode past him with speed.
Now.
Alessandro darted forward, poked the ball away with surgical precision, and slipped past Pogba like he wasn't even there.
Seconds later, he launched a long ball forward.
The pass wasn't perfect.
But there was so much space.
Januzaj sprinted, brought it down with ease, and burst into the box.
He rounded the keeper—
Goal!
The players erupted in celebration. Alessandro jogged past Pogba, gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, and smirked:
> "So… your name's Pogba?"
Then he ran off to join Januzaj, who was already pointing at him in celebration.
Pogba's face darkened—if that was still possible.
---
On the sideline, Coach Joyce, who'd been acting as referee, nearly blew his whistle into oblivion. He was furious and looked ready to tear Pogba and company apart.
But McGuinness was high-fiving his staff.
> "We've got ourselves a Makelele!" he laughed.
What incredible luck.
Could this be the year Manchester United's U18s lifted the FA Youth Cup?
His assistant Binch nodded eagerly.
> "I'm drawing up the contract now. We can't let this kid go."
---