Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King-Chapter 275: Substitutions

As the clock ticked toward the 77th minute, movement stirred on the AZ Alkmaar bench.

The fourth official raised the board. Three substitutions.

Chris: [Here we go. Gertjan Verbeek is making changes.]

Victor Elm jogged off first, his face flushed with effort. He clapped his hands above his head, acknowledging the traveling fans as Johann Berg Gudmundsson gave him a pat on the back. Adam Maher was the replacement, a fresh injection of energy in midfield.

Next, Berghuis. He had been dangerous all night, but Gertjan Verbeek had seen enough. Beerens stepped in.

And then—Altidore.

Rob: [Wait. Altidore?]

The American striker glanced at the touchline, saw his number, and froze. A brief hesitation—then he trudged off, shaking his head. He wasn’t happy.

Chris: [Now this is interesting. Altidore’s missed some big chances, but pulling him off?]

Fernando Lewis replaced him, a more young attacking-minded player. A clear message.

Rob: [Gertjan Verbeek is shutting this down. He’s not taking any risks]

Chris: [And look at Altidore—he’s fuming. He wanted to stay out there. But Gertjan Verbeek? He’s seen something]

As Altidore reached the bench, he shook his head again, muttering under his breath before slumping into his seat.

Meanwhile, the VVV-Venlo bench responded. They had to.

VVV-Venlo made their moves—Josimar Lima came on, replacing Linssen, while Wildschut entered for Van Crooij. Fresh legs. More urgency.

Chris: [They’re throwing everything at this now.]

Rob: [They have to. Time’s running out.]

The substitutions were made. The game reset.

And with just over ten minutes left, it was all still up for grabs.

VVV-Venlo wasted no time.

Wildschut’s first involvement was immediate—picking up the ball on the left and driving at Marcellis.

The AZ Alkmaar right-back backpedaled, adjusting his stance, but Wildschut had already made up his mind. A quick feint, a burst of pace—gone.

Chris: [Look at this! Wildschut straight into the action!]

The winger surged toward the byline before whipping a cross into the box. It flew dangerously between the six-yard box and the penalty spot.

Josimar Lima, fresh off the bench, charged in.

Rob: [Lima’s in there!]

A thumping header—straight into Alvarado’s gloves.

Chris: [Right at the keeper!]

A collective sigh of relief from the AZ Alkmaar supporters. Alvarado clutched the ball, taking his time before rolling it out to Adam Maher.

AZ Alkmaar needed control. Adam knew it. A few quick passes settled things, shifting the ball from left to right, forcing VVV to chase.

But they weren’t sitting back.

Post pressed hard, forcing a mistake. Henriksen’s pass was loose—Wildschut pounced. He drove forward again, this time cutting inside. freewёbnoνel.com

Chris: [This is better from VVV! They’re pushing now!]

Wildschut let fly from distance. A low, skidding strike.

Alvarado dived—parried away!

Rob: [Alvarado! Strong hands!]

The rebound fell to Nwofor.

Chris: [Nwofor—!]

A desperate lunge—Reijnen! A last-ditch block. The ball spun out for a corner.

Rob: [That was close. AZ Alkmaar are hanging on here!]

The tension grew. Gertjan Verbeek prowled the touchline, barking instructions. He knew it—VVV smelled blood.

In his apartment, Benjamin clenched his fists. The minutes were crawling. AZ Alkmaar just needed to survive.

Another corner. Another test.

Wildschut raised an arm, signaling his target. He swung it in, deep toward the back post.

Bodies tangled.

Chris: [Alvarado stays home—dangerous ball—]

Mäenpää, the VVV goalkeeper, was already near the halfway line, watching. They were taking risks.

The ball bounced loose—Josimar Lima swung a boot at it!

Blocked.

Scrambled away.

And suddenly—Adam Maher broke free.

Chris: [Here comes the counter!]

Rob: [AZ Alkmaar have a chance to kill it!]

Adam Maher sprinted forward, Beerens racing ahead of him. A two-on-two. The space opened up—this was it.

But then—

A late sliding challenge.

Post.

The ball spun out of bounds. Adam Maher went flying.

Fweeeee!

The whistle blew and a yellow card flashed.

Chris: [Tactical foul. He had to do it. That could’ve been game over.]

Rob: [And AZ Alkmaar won’t mind. More time off the clock.]

Adam Maher picked himself up, dusting off his shorts. The frustration on his face said it all. He knew that was the moment.

AZ Alkmaar took their time with the free kick. Seconds ticked away.

Seven minutes left.

Still 2-1 in AZ Alkmaar’s favor.

And still, VVV-Venlo refused to go away.

Martens stood over the free kick, taking his time. Every second counted now.

Chris: [You can feel it, Rob. AZ Alkmaar just want that final whistle.]

Martens finally sent it short, keeping possession instead of lumping it forward. Adam Maher received it, turned sharply, and immediately found Henriksen. Safe, simple passes. Run the clock down.

But VVV weren’t done.

Post hunted Henriksen down, forcing a rushed pass. Lima read it, intercepting just past midfield.

Chris: [And here comes VVV again!]

Lima wasted no time, sliding a pass wide to Wildschut. The winger didn’t hesitate—one touch to steady, another to push forward.

He drove at Marcellis again. The AZ Alkmaar defender was tiring, his legs heavy.

Chris: [Wildschut’s been dangerous since coming on!]

A stepover. A body feint. Then—acceleration.

Marcellis lunged—too slow. Wildschut was past him, darting toward the edge of the 18 yard box.

Rob: [He’s got space!]

Wildschut cut onto his right foot. He had options. Nwofor made a darting run toward the penalty spot, calling for it.

Instead, Wildschut went for glory.

A fierce strike—low, hard.

Alvarado reacted late.

The ball skidded toward the bottom corner—

And clipped the outside of the post.

Chris: [So close!]

A sharp gasp rippled through the stadium. Some AZ Alkmaar fans had already started to panic, thinking it was in.

Rob: [He struck that so well, but just an inch wide!]

Wildschut slapped the turf in frustration before jogging back into position.

Time was slipping away.

Benjamin checked the clock again. Five minutes left.

VVV were throwing everything forward now.

Their fullbacks pushed higher. Their midfielders took risks.

Chris: [AZ Alkmaar can’t afford to invite pressure like this. They need to push back.]

And finally—they tried.

Adam Maher found Beerens out wide. A burst of pace, a quick cut inside, and suddenly AZ Alkmaar had numbers.

Chris: [Now they break!]