God Of football

Chapter 189: Speedster

After the restart, both teams played in a relatively calm way. Valencia played long balls without advancing too much for fear of Real Madrid’s fast break while Real Madrid also played conservatively fearing Valencia’s counter-attacking football.

This however didn’t stop Izan from attacking. A pass from him almost led to a go if not for the timely intervention of the offside flag.

After a few sets of passes led to Kroos, being in possession of the ball, the Real Madrid fans started chanting for the away team to attack.

As if responding to the fans, Toni Kroos sent the ball diagonally, switching play to the right flank of Real Madrid where Rodrygo stood.

Seeing the switch in play, Valencia’s midfield and defence compacted. The home side focused on crowding their box with their players.

They had the height advantage of Real Madrid’s forwards so any cross would be ultimately cleared. Rodrygo still with the ball, went head-on against Jose Gaya.

The Brazilian winger tried a few moves but Jose Gaya wasn’t taking the bait. Ultimately, Rodrygo decided to pass back to restart the match.

What he hadn’t noticed was Izan lurking behind him.

”Oh No! Rodrygo has given away the pass. This could spell trouble here” the commentator said after Izan started running.

Izan dashed down the pitch with an intensity that left the crowd gasping. His legs moved like a blur, his feet dancing around the ball with impeccable precision.

He weaved in and out of Real Madrid’s players in the midfield, their attempts to block him only leading to more failed challenges as he glided past them effortlessly.

Rodrygo had given chase immediately after he lost the ball but he was now some steps behind Izan who was running with the ball.

”How is he so fast” Rodrygo thought as Izan slipped through the grasp of Valverde who had tried to bring the former down.

While everything was so fast, things looked a lot less slow to Izan.

[Speedster trait Activated], the system kept sounding for a while before going quiet.

The Real Madrid defenders, towering figures with years of elite training, were left standing in Izan’s wake as he accelerated away from them, his speed leaving them trailing hopelessly behind.

The stadium buzzed with disbelief. Fans exchanged astonished looks, some even rising to their feet, as they watched a display of skill and pace that seemed almost supernatural.

Real Madrid’s defenders, often regarded as some of the best in the world, found themselves helpless in the face of Izan’s mastery.

He shifted the ball with delicate feints, every touch precise and calculated, and each move was executed with a fluidity that made it impossible for them to get close.

His speed was something more than just raw pace; it was a combination of explosive bursts and seamless control that allowed him to glide through tight spaces, keeping the ball glued to his feet while leaving defenders grasping at thin air.

With each stride, the fans wondered aloud—how could anyone move with such velocity while maintaining such perfect dribbling technique?

It was as if Izan was defying the laws of physics, effortlessly controlling the ball while outrunning the best defenders in the world.

Carlo Ancelotti, on the touchline, couldn’t sit still. ”Don’t let him get near the box” he roared but his instructions were lost in the gasps and cheers of the home crowd.

As Izan surged forward, the ball almost seemed to follow him, perfectly in sync with every step he took.

Even when it looked like he might lose control or be forced wide, Izan’s quick thinking and even quicker feet ensured that he stayed one step ahead.

The crowd caught in awe, could barely keep up with his movements. A final flick of the ball past the last defender left them in disbelief, but Izan was already charging towards the goal with no one left to stop him.

Or so he thought, as Valverde suddenly appeared in front of him. ”Oh, come on,” Izan thought as he looked at the words flashing at the top of Valverde’s head.

[Undying Guard:

15% stats boost when the holder’s team is in a precarious situation.]

Now face to face with Valverde, Izan tried to use a few moves to slip away from the Uruguayan but the latter wasn’t having any of it.

Steadying himself, Valverde lunged in for the ball but Izan had other plans.

Izan smoothly executed the La Croqueta as Valverde lunged in, trying to intercept the ball.

With a quick flick of his foot, Izan shifted the ball past Valverde’s outstretched leg, leaving the midfielder off balance.

In one seamless motion, he tried to accelerate away, but the midfielder grabbed onto him, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

The home side erupted into shouts calling upon the referee. The Valencia players ran towards the scene right after seeing Izan fall.

The referee wanting to prevent any altercation between the two sides, rushed in between the two sides.

Facing Valverde, the referee just warned him without issuing any card causing an outburst among the home fans.

Ruben Baraja, in a fit of rage, approached the fourth official, speaking his mind but the fourth official didn’t pay him any heed.

For fear of Ruben Baraja being sent off, Assistant Coach Moreno immediately approached and dragged the latter back to the bench side.

”Sorry. I had to do what I had to do” Valverde said with his arm stretched towards Izan after the referee’s warning.

Izan who was fixing his shin guard on the ground, looked up and saw the outstretched hand of Valverde.

Not wanting to show unsporting behaviour, Izan held onto the former’s arm.

”Thank you” Izan uttered at Valverde after standing up causing the latter to look at him weirdly.

As the match reached a crucial point, the tension in the air was palpable. Izan stood over the ball, ready to take a dangerous freekick just outside the penalty box.

”Valverde’s challenge was necessary. If he had let Izan go any further, Real Madrid would have been on the back foot but this isn’t any better” the commentator said, as the replay showed the midfielder’s clever foul.

”What the fans don’t like is the lack of a reprimand. That should have least been a yellow card if not a red one”

With Valverde’s foul setting up a dangerous freekick, all eyes were on Izan once more.

The commentator noted the pressure mounting on the young player, who now had the chance to make something decisive happen.

”It’s been a while since he scored one but this little magician is also a freekick specialist.

This is a pivotal moment,” the commentator remarked, ”the freekick could be the game-changer, with the defence scrambling to organize and the goalkeeper’s focus sharp.”

The tension was thick as Izan took a few steps back, preparing for the potentially game-altering kick, while Valverde, now with a guilty look on his face, could only watch helplessly from a distance.

”So that’s why he said ’thank you’” Valverde thought as he stood in the wall.

”Izan looking at the goal with pure focus, as if he wants to bore holes in the net with his gaze”.

[Meanwhile Izan]

”Curler or Rocket. Maybe a Knuckleball, topspin. Courtois’s Titan’s reach is really problematic in instances like this. Oh well, if it goes in it goes, if it does not, someone will tap in”.

After the referee made sure all was well with both sides, he went behind Izan.

The goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, stood steadfast, his long frame planted firmly at the centre of the goal, waiting for the inevitable strike that would come at him from above.

But Izan had a different idea.

[Curler activated]

He surveyed the scene with a knowing gleam in his eyes, his body radiating confidence.

As the referee blew the whistle, signalling the start of his run-up, the defenders in the wall shifted slightly, expecting the usual high-flying shot.

Izan’s foot, however, moved with a deceptive grace—he took only a few deliberate steps before executing a masterstroke of technique.

With the precision of a surgeon, Izan didn’t launch the ball into the air. Instead, he struck it with a gentle, controlled finesse.

The low-driven ball skimmed the ground, curling beneath the jumping defenders, slipping through the narrowest of gaps between their outstretched legs.

The wall’s collective leap was in vain, their towering figures casting shadows over the turf, but no shadow could reach the ball that sailed effortlessly under them.

Courtois, rooted in place and ready for the traditional strike, watched in disbelief as the ball sliced through the air with a subtle curve, defying the expected path.

His gaze flicked to the lower corner, but it was too late. The ball kissed the inside of the post with a soft, but determined touch before nestling into the back of the net.

The stadium erupted in stunned silence before it burst into ecstasy. Izan stood with his arms raised, a grin playing on his lips as his teammates surrounded him.

Courtois, the great Belgian wall, could only watch as his immovable frame had been outwitted by a stroke of pure brilliance.

As the ball flew beneath the wall and nestled into the corner of the net, the commentator’s voice erupted with a mix of astonishment and excitement.

”Unbelievable! Izan has done it! What a moment of pure genius! The freekick looked like any other... but no, he’s gone for the unthinkable!

Under the wall—under the very eyes of Courtois—he’s executed a masterstroke! The defenders leapt in vain, and Courtois... he never saw it coming!

What a brilliantly calculated strike! The ball, driven low with such precision, almost seemed to defy the laws of physics as it bypassed the giant wall and found its way into the corner of the net.

Absolutely sensational! Izan! The stadium is in raptures! He has just pulled off one of the most audacious goals you’ll ever see in football!”