Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King-Chapter 270: Missed Opportunity

Chris: [Still alive! Elm—]

A desperate clearance from Promes sent the ball skidding out for a throw-in.

Rob: [Wow! AZ Alkmaar came flying out of the gates, and they nearly found the breakthrough!]

Benjamin exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the Coke can. That was close. Too close.

On the pitch, AZ Alkmaar players threw frustrated glances at each other before quickly resetting. The pressure wasn’t letting up.

Gorter jogged over to take the throw-in, wiping his hands on his shirt. He launched it deep toward Henriksen, who nodded it into the path of Martens.

Chris: [AZ Alkmaar keeping the pressure on. They know they can’t afford to waste another chance.]

Martens turned sharply, skipping past a challenge before spotting Berghuis near the edge of the 18 yard box. A quick touch to settle, then a shot—

Rob: [Berghuis goes for goal—]

The ball took a wicked deflection off a defender, looping dangerously toward the top corner. Mäenpää backpedaled, stretching—

Chris: [This could be trouble—]

The ball clipped the crossbar and bounced out. Gasps filled the stadium.

Rob: [So close! The goalkeeper was beaten!]

Chris: [Unbelievable! AZ Alkmaar knocking on the door again!]

Benjamin leaned forward, his heartbeat quickening. They were getting closer. One of these had to go in.

#50th minute.

AZ Alkmaar weren’t letting up.

The ball was recycled quickly, Henriksen collecting it near the center circle. He lifted his head, scanning for options.

Berghuis was out wide on the right wing, Guðmundsson hovering near the edge of the 18 yard box, but it was Altidore who signaled—hand up, darting toward the gap between the center-backs.

Chris: [Henriksen sees the run—]

Henriksen’s pass was inch-perfect, curling behind the defense.

Altidore surged forward, brushing off his marker, eyes locked on the ball as it dropped over his shoulder. One touch to control, the second to strike—

Rob: [Altidore...!]

A thunderous right-footed volley—

Mäenpää reacted instantly, diving low to his right.

Chris: [What a SAVE! Mäenpää denies Altidore again!]

The ball rebounded into the six-yard box. Henriksen lunged, stretching to get a toe on it—

Rob: [Still alive! Henriksen—]

A desperate block from Promes sent the ball spinning away. Berghuis pounced on it near the corner of the 18 yard box.

Chris: [Berghuis has a go—]

A first-time effort, drilled low—

Blocked again! This time, it was Röseler throwing his body in the way. The ball ricocheted back toward Martens, who didn’t hesitate—

Rob: [Martens... goes for placement!]

A curling effort toward the far post—

Mäenpää, scrambling to his left, stretched a hand out—

Chris: [It’s IN! No—off the post!]

The ball smacked off the inside of the post and rolled across the face of goal.

Gasps echoed through the stadium.

Rob: [How has that not gone in?!]

VVV-Venlo’s defense hacked it clear at the last second.

Benjamin shot up from his couch, hands gripping his hair.

What else do they have to do to score?!

On the pitch, Altidore shook his head, hands on his hips. Martens stared at the goal, disbelief on his face.

Chris: [This is relentless from AZ Alkmaar, but they just cannot find the net!]

Rob: [And look at Mäenpää—he’s urging his teammates to keep fighting. He knows they’re hanging on by a thread!]

Benjamin exhaled sharply and sat back down. His fingers tapped anxiously against the Coke can.

AZ Alkmaar had thrown everything at VVV-Venlo, yet the score remained locked at 1-1. The home fans groaned in frustration, while the small pocket of traveling VVV supporters clapped and cheered, sensing their team had survived a storm.

But then—an opening appeared.

A loose pass from Gorter, slightly underhit, was intercepted near the halfway line.

Chris: [And now, here comes VVV-Venlo on the break!]

AZ Alkmaar were caught off balance. Elm and Martens had pushed high, leaving Viergever and Reijnen exposed. Linssen saw it instantly.

He spun away from his marker, driving forward with speed. Giakoumakis peeled off to his right, stretching the defense. Linssen took another touch, waiting, waiting—then slid a perfect through ball into the striker’s path.

Rob: [It’s opened up! Giakoumakis, one-on-one with Esteban!]

Benjamin stopped breathing.

Giakoumakis sprinted into the 18 yard box, steadying himself. Esteban rushed out with his arms wide, trying to make himself big. The Greek striker opened up his body, shaping to curl it around the keeper—

Chris: [Giakoumakis—]

A split-second hesitation. He tried to place it, aiming for the bottom corner—

Rob: [Big CHANCE—]

But he scuffed it.

The ball rolled weakly toward the goal, lacking the power to truly test Esteban. The goalkeeper dived low, cradling it into his chest.

Chris: [Oh, what a miss!]

Gasps of relief filled the stadium.

Rob: [That was the moment! That was VVV-Venlo’s chance to turn this game on its head!]

Giakoumakis sat on the ground, head in his hands. Linssen threw his arms up in frustration.

Benjamin exhaled, shaking his head. That could’ve been it. A simple finish. A goal that would’ve shattered AZ Alkmaar.

Chris: [He had time. He had space. But he just didn’t get the right contact!]

Rob: [And AZ Alkmaar breathe again!] freēwēbnovel.com

On the touchline, Gertjan Verbeek clapped his hands aggressively, shouting at his players to wake up.

That was a warning. A reminder that no matter how dominant they had been, one lapse, one mistake, and this game could be snatched away.

Benjamin leaned forward again, the Coke can had began sweating in his grip. This match was hanging on a knife’s edge.

The missed chance seemed to rattle AZ Alkmaar. For the first time in the half, their passing became hesitant, their movements a little stiff.

VVV-Venlo sensed it. They pressed higher, closing down space quicker, forcing AZ Alkmaar into rushed decisions.

Chris: [You can feel the shift here. That miss from Giakoumakis has given VVV-Venlo confidence.]

Rob: [And AZ Alkmaar? They need to settle. They were in complete control just a few minutes ago, but now they look a little shaken.]

Linssen tested the waters again, darting inside before slipping a pass toward Dekker, who found space on the left. The VVV winger drove forward, lifting a cross toward the back post.

Chris: [Dangerous delivery—]