Harbinger Of Glory

Southgate stepped away from his seat and moved to the edge of the technical area, hands in his coat pockets.

He stared at the ongoing battle on the pitch before slowly drifting towards the scoreboard and the stadium timer.

29:34

His eyes found the scoreboard next, which still hadn’t changed after half an hour of football.

Away on the broadcast, the commentary also had the same arithmetic going through their minds.

”So, the half-hour mark approaching,” the main commentator said, ”and the scoreboard tells you everything and nothing at the same time.

Nil-nil, yes, but this has been a genuinely absorbing game of football. Both keepers have been the difference so far.”

”Pickford first,” the co-commentator said.

”He’s kept England level at least twice already. That save from Leo’s shot early on, and then the one from Barella’s effort in the twentieth.

You look at those two moments, and England could easily be behind.”

”Donnarumma, we can also make a case for,” the main commentator said. ”Italy’s keeper has been just as important going the other way.”

”And Leo Calderon,” the co-commentator said.

”Doing what he does, moving the ball, making himself available, reading the press before it arrives.

He’s been the most consistent influence on the game from either side so far, aside from the keepers!”

The ball went out for a throw, and Leo slowed as he looked toward the sideline where Trippier was already moving toward it.

Leo glanced around and spotted Frattesi a few yards away and lax.

Without hesitating, he called out towards the latter, beckoning him forward.

”Press the throw,” he called. ”Don’t just stand there.”

Frattesi, at that, quickly nodded and immediately moved across, cutting off one of Trippier’s easier options, but it didn’t matter.

Trippier took the throw quickly into Rice, who turned away from the pressure and found Bellingham through the middle.

Bellingham barely needed a touch before laying it off to Phillips and continuing his run.

Closing out the lanes, Scamacca shifted, looking to harass the former Leeds United man, but Phillips found the gap in the former’s press, and soon enough, Bellingham was through the first line again.

He carried the ball forward before, slowing baiting Barella and then Leo before shifting it out to Foden on the right.

Leo already committed, didn’t slow. He pressed on, keeping the ball in his sights as Foden cut inside, bringing the ball onto his left foot, but immediately Leo closed the space between them.

The Englishman took the shot anyway, forcing Leo to tense, body straining as he took the shot to his side.

The ball, which struck him, fell and bounced back to Foden, who tried to recover it, exactly the same thoughts Leo also had as he ignored the stinging feeling.

Unfortunately for Leo, Foden got the ball first.

The moment their legs met, the referee’s whistle sounded, forcing Leo to stop and look down, almost surprised by the sound.

Foden was already on the ground, clutching his leg.

And while he did so, Leo stared at him for a moment, watching him act his heart out.

He hadn’t gone in recklessly.

He’d been trying to play the ball.

As far as he could tell, he’d barely caught Foden at all.

When he picked his head up, the referee had already walked over.

”Come on,” he said, taking Leo gently by the arm and moving him away from the incident. ”You’ve caught him.”

Leo listened with a sigh but then nodded.

”Okay,” he muttered, pulled his arm and stepped back while Foden got to his feet.

Their eyes met briefly, and as they did, Leo gave a small shake of his head.

The referee had made his decision, and there was nothing else to argue.

The wall was set a few metres outside Italy’s penalty area, and Leo took his place among the blue shirts, standing in front of Harry Kane as the England captain waited over the ball.

Foden stood a few steps away, muttering something to Kane, who nodded before also leaning in and muttering a few words to Foden.

Leo watched them for a second before focusing on what was to come, which was the ball.

A moment later, the whistle came, and with the run-up, Harry Kane attempted the goal.

He stepped up and lifted the free kick over the wall, looking to place it beyond the wall, but to do that, he sacrificed power for precision, something Donnarumma read early.

The Italian shotstopper took two quick steps forward and caught the ball cleanly above his head.

A small cheer went around the stadium as the keeper landed, took a couple of steps and immediately looked upfield.

The Italian players immediately spread out, settling into spaces in anticipation of the kick-in, but then Donnarumma’s foot caught the ball slightly across its surface, sending it left instead of out toward the middle of the pitch.

”OH NO. AND THE BALL’S SUDDENLY LOOSE HERE!” the commentator screamed urgently, and reacting well, Rashford got there.

He took the ball in stride, spinning right towards goal.

Italy’s players were still turning when he was already moving toward the byline.

Leo, gathering as much power as he could, tore off immediately and tracked across, trying to close the route into the box.

He could see Bellingham coming, and he could see

Kane moving into the middle too.

He adjusted his position, weighing which runner he needed to cover as Rashford looked up.

With little time, Leo gambled on Bellingham, slipping right in between the Madrid man and the ball, but Rashford chose neither.

When Leo thought he’d got things covered, Rashford sent the ball over; a high cross travelled toward the far post, clearing the players Leo had been watching.

Leo, breath hitching, spun, trying to glance at where the ball was going, and the moment his gaze settled, he found Foden arriving there.

Donnarumma was still shifting across his goal when Foden met the ball with his head.

The PSG player lunged, trying to get at least his fingertips to the ball, but he could only close his eyes as the ball moved into the net before rolling to the ground.

And soon enough, a roar broke out in parts of the stadium.

”GOAL ENGLAND !”

”ENGLAND HAVE THE LEAD!” the commentator bellowed as Foden turned away from goal, pointing straight back toward Rashford as his teammates ran after him.

”It’s one-nil to England,” the commentator said.

”And Italy have been punished by a mistake from Donnarumma. We had been praising himjust a while ago alongside Pickford, but now he goes on and does this.

The clearance went straight to Rashford, and from there England worked it brilliantly. Foden was completely free at the far post and what a nice header to break the deadlock.”