Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King-Chapter 282: Den Haag Parks The Bus

The game restarted quickly, Den Haag in no rush to force anything forward. Their center-backs exchanged a few passes, drawing whistles from the home fans.

Chris: [And here we go. Den Haag are trying to slow this game down, kill the rhythm. It’s smart, but it’s going to make for a frustrating half if you’re an AZ Alkmaar fan.]

Rob: [And that’s exactly what they want. They know AZ Alkmaar will come at them, so why give them any momentum?]

Benjamin shook his head at the screen. He knew this pattern all too well. Den Haag would sit deep, absorb pressure, and try to hit on the break. He had seen it before. Played against it before. He hated it.

AZ Alkmaar pressed higher, forcing a rushed clearance. Reijnen stepped forward, chesting the ball down before playing it wide. Henriksen took a touch, looking up, then launched a long diagonal toward Beerens.

The winger controlled it well, darted past his marker, and swung in a dangerous low cross—

Deflected! The ball rolled loose inside the 18 yard box—

Chris: [Chance here!]

Gudmundsson reacted first, stabbing a shot toward goal—

Blocked.

A second attempt followed right away, but it was blocked again.

The ball pinballed around before a Den Haag defender finally hacked it away.

Rob: [Bodies on the line! Den Haag are throwing everything in front of these shots!]

Benjamin exhaled sharply, his fingers curling into a fist. They needed a spark. Something different.

The camera panned back to the AZ Alkmaar bench. Gertjan Verbeek was speaking with his assistant, glancing toward the substitutes.

Chris: [And you have to wonder... how long before we see a change? AZ Alkmaar are dominant, but dominance means nothing if you don’t score]

Benjamin shifted on the couch. He knew exactly what the team needed. But his time would come next week against Liverpool. For now, all he could do was watch and hope someone stepped up.

The game continued with AZ Alkmaar relentless in their pursuit of an equalizer. Den Haag, backs against the wall, remained compact, absorbing pressure with every passing minute.

Chris: [You can feel the tension in the stadium. AZ Alkmaar are pushing, probing, but Den Haag are refusing to break.]

Rob: [And the longer this stays 1-0, the more frustrating it gets for AZ Alkmaar. They’ve got to stay composed. One goal changes everything.]

Benjamin leaned forward, his eyes locked onto the screen. He could see the patterns forming—AZ Alkmaar working the ball from side to side, trying to find an opening. But Den Haag weren’t giving them space in the final third.

Martens pushed forward from the back, playing it into Henriksen. The midfielder quickly laid it off to Beerens, who skipped past his marker and delivered another cross—

Chris: [Beerens whips it in—]

The ball was cleared, but only as far as Victor Elm, who took a touch and unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the 18 yard box—

Blocked. Again.

Benjamin groaned, running a hand through his hair.

Rob: [How many times have we seen that tonight? Every time AZ Alkmaar shoot, there’s a Den Haag body in the way.]

The rebound fell to Gudmundsson, who tried to recycle the attack, playing it out wide. AZ Alkmaar weren’t letting up.

Chris: [They’re camped inside Den Haag’s half now. It’s wave after wave of pressure.]

A quick one-two between Henriksen and Gudmundsson opened up a pocket of space. This time, Gudmundsson tried a low drive—

Straight at the keeper.

Rob: [It’s too central! That’s easy for Coutinho!]

The Den Haag goalkeeper smothered the ball and took his time getting up, earning a round of boos from the AZ Alkmaar fans on the kop. He motioned for his teammates to push up before launching a long kick forward.

Benjamin shook his head. He hated seeing the team struggle like this. He could picture himself out there, dictating the tempo, slipping in the killer passes they desperately needed.

On the pitch, AZ Alkmaar reset quickly. Den Haag weren’t interested in keeping possession; their game plan was clear—defend, frustrate, and hit on the break.

A miscommunication between Reijnen and Viergever led to a rare Den Haag counter. Their forward pounced on the loose ball and sprinted down the right flank.

Chris: [Wait a minute! Here comes Den Haag!]

AZ Alkmaar scrambled to recover. The ball was squared across the 18 yard box—

Cleared by Marcellis at the last moment.

Rob: [That could’ve been a disaster! AZ Alkmaar need to stay focused. One mistake, and this game could be over.]

Gertjan Verbeek clapped his hands furiously from the touchline, urging his players to push forward again. He turned to his bench, deep in conversation with his assistant.

Chris: [We might see a change soon. You can see Gertjan Verbeek discussing options. Does he take a risk? Does he bring on an extra attacker?]

Benjamin adjusted his position on the couch, eyes narrowing. He knew what needed to be done. The team needed someone to unlock the defense. Someone to take control.

The camera cut to the substitutes warming up on the sideline. Berghuis and Aron Jóhannsson were among them, stretching, waiting for their moment.

Rob: [Looks like Berghuis and Jóhannsson are getting ready. Fresh legs up top. Are they the men to find a way through?]

Back on the pitch, AZ Alkmaar continued to press.

Henriksen found space, lifted his head, and played a dangerous through ball into the 18 yard box—

Beerens got on the end of it, took a quick touch, and fired—

Just wide.

Chris: [That was close! You can see the frustration growing now!]

Beerens slapped the ground in frustration before jogging back into position. The camera caught Gertjan Verbeek shaking his head.

The time ticked towards the 62nd minute. AZ Alkmaar still trailed.

Den Haag’s goalkeeper took another long goal kick, looking to waste time, but AZ Alkmaar won possession immediately.

Henriksen pushed forward again, slipping the ball to Martens, who turned sharply and drove toward the final third.