Harbinger Of Glory

Onana turned and walked back toward his goal, and Leo watched him as he settled into his goal before he also walked towards the spot!

Onana bounced twice on his toes, repeating the action afterwards before he moved from one side of the goal to the other, clapping his gloves together and staring directly at Leo, trying to make himself a problem.

Leo just watched on as Oliver walked into the box and began clearing the players away.

”Back.”

The few players in the box shuffled out until, eventually, there were only three men left inside the area.

Leo, Onana and Oliver.

The noise in the stadium died down as a result of the anticipation in the penalty as Leo placed the ball down on the spot and stepped back.

While that went on, Onana kept moving, refusing to be idle even as Leo backed off!

He slapped his gloves together, finally drawing Leo’s attention as Leo looked at him and then quickly at Oliver.

The referee checked the positioning one final time before the whistle came.

”This...” Drury said, his voice suddenly quiet as Leo took his first step.

”...for two.”

In the next second, his left foot planted beside the ball before his right foot came through it cleanly and effortlessly.

The ball travelled low toward the bottom right corner, but Onana, who had already committed to his right, could only watch as the ball nestled into the back of the net!

2-1.

Even as the scoreboard flickered, Leo didn’t run.

He simply stood there for a second, clenched his fists and then pumped both of them once as the Wigan players and fans alike erupted in cheers and celebrations!

”LEO CALDERON!” Drury roared on the broadcast as the rest of the Wigan players caught up with Leo inside the United box!

”AND WIGAN HAVE TURNED THIS GAME ON ITS HEAD! FROM ONE-NIL DOWN TO TWO-ONE UP!”

There was no long celebration from Leo as his teammates surrounded him, shouting into his face, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him into the huddle.

”Another expertly taken penalty by Calderon,” Carragher said. ”He waits for Onana to make his decision, then puts it exactly where he wants it.” It’s almost like he is passing into the back of the net.”

”Manchester United had the lead,” Drury returned, ”Now they trail.”

The players began separating from the huddle before they began returning to their half.

While that happened, the stadium announcer’s voice filled Old Trafford!

”Wigan Athletic substitution.”

The crowd settled slightly.

”Number twenty-one, Jake...”

The announcement was met with another round of applause from the away supporters.

”...is replaced by number ten, Will Keane.”

Keane jogged onto the pitch, but just as he settled, another announcement came from the speakers high above the stands!

”And now, Manchester United substitution.”

”Number eleven, Rasmus Højlund, is replaced by number nine, Anthony Martial.”

A cheer followed before the next announcement commenced!

”And number thirty-nine, Scott McTominay, is replaced by number thirty-seven, Kobbie Mainoo.”

Mainoo crossed the touchline, together with Martial, while McTominay and Hojlund, who’d scored Manchester United’s goal, took their places on the bench!

The restart came quickly, with United looking to make the most of Wigan’s momentary disorganisation, if there was any after the goal!

Bruno took possession almost immediately and glanced toward the left flank, where Garnacho was already drifting into space.

The Argentine received, turned on his first touch and drove forward, cutting through the gap between Seriki and Reyes before either player could properly close him down.

Martial had dropped into the space in front of Wigan’s back three, giving Garnacho an option as he approached the final third, and the pass went into him without question.

Without the pressure behind him, Martial took a touch, sweeping the ball to his right like he was about to burst towards the flank, but in the next second, he laid it back toward Bruno.

The Manchester United skipper stepped into the effort, looking to take hold of the ball, but Leo had already seen it coming.

He stepped across with perfect timing and swept his foot through the ball before Bruno could collect it, taking enough care with the follow-through to hook it back toward himself rather than allowing it to roll into United’s path.

The Wigan supporters applauded the intervention as Leo got to his feet, but he wasn’t done!

”McClean!” he called a second later, pointing towards the left flank before sending the ball into space as the Wigan wingback chased after the ball!

Rashford kept up, almost getting to the ball before McClean could, but ultimately, the latter came out on top before whipping the return ball towards where it came from.

Leo took it cleanly, lifted his head and immediately saw another movement developing ahead of him.

Will Keane was drifting diagonally across the Manchester United defence, but he wasn’t the only one to notice it.

The United players did too, and subconsciously, they began reacting to it!

With their attention halved, Leo opened his body and swept the ball toward the opposite flank instead, changing the entire direction of the attack with one pass.

”Leo tilts the pitch with that ball. And now Ezra has it.”

Ezra collected it but had Varane waiting just ahead of him!

There was something almost familiar about the duel by then.

Ezra had already tested the Frenchman several times since the former came on, winning most and yet as he faced him again, Varane remained patient, keeping his body between the winger and the space behind him!

Ezra pushed the ball forward, and Varane matched him.

Ezra suddenly accelerated toward the outside, trying to burst beyond him, but Varane read it early.

He slid across the turf and took the ball cleanly before it could escape down the line.

”Throw-in for Wigan,” the commentary called as the ball rolled out.

Ezra, slightly reeling from the quick burst, heaved a bit as he walked forward and picked the ball up, but it was hard to find a Wigan shirt.

Seeing that, Leo pointed toward Reyes, asking him to provide an option for Ezra.

Reyes glanced across the pitch, saw Femi Seriki and decided against him.

”He’s got it,” he said and then moved higher instead, settling right past the United midfield!

”What-,” Leo muttered, but before he could finish his words, Ezra let go of the ball towards Reyes!

Reyes received with his back to the United goal and then spun, but in the next moment, the United players around boxed him in.

Eriksen stepped in from one side while Varane moved across from the other, squeezing Reyes before he could turn and in the next instant, the ball popped loose.

Mainoo reacted first, collected it and immediately looked forward, spotting Bruno, and suddenly, it looked as if a break was on for United!

Bruno ran onto the ball and caressed it, spinning right past the form of Femi Seriki, who had cut in to fill for Reyes!

Bruno, after skipping past Seriki, found space but almost immediately felt a challenge arriving almost at the same instant.

He tried to turn away from it, but Leo got his body across him, shoulder meeting shoulder as the Portuguese midfielder fought to keep himself between Leo and the ball.

For a second, Bruno managed to hold him off, but then Leo leaned harder, using his physique to bully the ball away until it came loose.

He took one touch away from Bruno and emerged with possession as the Wigan end erupted into another round of applause.