Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King-Chapter 289: Full-time

Alvarado guessed right!

A strong right hand met the ball, pushing it away from the goal.

Chris: [Alvarado saves!]

The stadium erupted in a mix of gasps and cheers. AZ Alkmaar players raised their arms, shouting in triumph. The fans pumped their fists, roaring in celebration.

Rob: [What a moment! Alvarado keeps his team alive!]

But the ball wasn’t cleared yet.

It spun back into play, rolling dangerously into the six-yard box. For a split second, time seemed to freeze. The rebound was there, waiting.

Chris: [It’s not over!]

Kramer reacted first.

AZ Alkmaar defenders scrambled, desperate to clear, but Kramer was already there, throwing his foot at the ball—

A sharp strike, straight down the middle.

Alvarado, still recovering from his save, stretched his leg out—

Missed by inches!

The net bulged.

Rob: [Den Haag scores!]

Chris: [Kramer slams in the rebound! Unbelievable!]

The stadium erupted. Den Haag fans exploded in pure ecstasy, jumping onto their seats, arms flailing, voices merging into a deafening roar. Their players sprinted towards Kramer, piling onto him in wild celebration.

On the other end, AZ Alkmaar players fell to the ground. Hands on heads. Faces buried in jerseys. Hearts shattered. Three points lost.

Alvarado lay on his back, staring at the night sky, disbelief written all over his face. He had done everything—saved the penalty—but fate had been cruel.

Chris: [Football can be so cruel. Giving him the feeling of ultimate joy only to send him reeling back into the depths of the abyss]

Rob: [Alvarado made an incredible save, but sometimes, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way]

The AZ Alkmaar bench was frozen. Gertjan Verbeek sank into his seat, fingers gripping his hair. His assistants stared at the ground, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Across the technical area, Maurice Steijn was running down the touchline, fists pumping, his face red with excitement. His staff hugged each other, jumping in pure joy.

Benjamin stood in his apartment, hands on his head. "No... No... No way..."

His heart pounded. His mind raced. He had seen football break players hearts before, but this... This was different. It was a gut punch.

The referee pointed to the center circle. The restart was a formality. There were mere seconds left.

Rob: [AZ Alkmaar will have no time to respond.]

Chris: [This is done. Den Haag has stolen it at the death!]

Fweeee!~ Fweeeee!~ Fweeeeeee!~

The whistle blew.

Full-time.

Den Haag 2-1 AZ Alkmaar.

Rob: [And there it is! An absolutely dramatic finish!]

Chris: [What a match. What a heartbreak for AZ Alkmaar. And what a night for Den Haag!]

The camera panned to Altidore, his hands still on his head, his eyes staring at the ground in disbelief.

He had chances. So many chances. The crossbar. The post. Inches had separated him from glory, and now, all he could do was walk off the pitch, empty.

The Den Haag players celebrated in front of their fans, fists pumping, their names echoing through the stands. A victory snatched in the last breath of the game.

Benjamin sank onto his couch, exhaling deeply. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Football, man... Football.

Rob: [We need a moment to catch our breath after that one. What a finish!]

Chris: [Absolutely! You could not have scripted a more dramatic ending. AZ Alkmaar thought they had survived after Alvarado’s save, but football has a cruel way of deciding things, and Den Haag took full advantage.]

Rob: [Let’s break it down. That final sequence—it all happened so fast. Alvarado guesses right, makes a brilliant save, but there’s no defender quick enough to react. The ball falls kindly for Kramer, and from that range, there’s no missing.]

Chris: [Yeah, it’s all about reactions in those moments. Look at Kramer—he was on his toes, ready for any opportunity. Meanwhile, the AZ Alkmaar defenders hesitated for just a split second, and that’s all it took.]

Rob: [And it’s not just about the penalty. AZ had so many chances before that. Altidore hit the post, Henriksen’s shot was saved, they were inches away from winning this game themselves.]

Chris: [That’s what will haunt them. The fine margins. If Altidore’s header is an inch to the right, we’re talking about a different result.]

Rob: [Let’s talk about the decision to award the penalty. Still controversial?]

Chris: [Oh, absolutely. Watching the replay again, there’s contact, but it’s soft. Very soft. If the referee doesn’t blow his whistle, I don’t think there’s enough reason for it to be looked back on]

Rob: [Exactly. But once the referee makes that call, there’s no going back. And you have to credit Van Duinen—he sold it well]

Chris: [That’s part of the game now, isn’t it? Strikers feel the contact and go down. Whether we like it or not, that’s football]

Rob: [Let’s switch focus. What does this mean for both teams moving forward?]

Chris: [For Den Haag, this is huge. They were staring at a draw, maybe even a loss, and now they walk away with three points. It gives them momentum, confidence. A result like this can really define a season, especially in this early stages]

Rob: [And for AZ Alkmaar, it’s the opposite. They’ll be devastated. They played well for most of the game, created more chances, but they leave with nothing. That’s a tough pill to swallow.]

Chris: [Yeah, and mentally, this will hurt. They’ll replay those moments in their heads over and over. The post, the penalty decision, the missed opportunities. It’s exhausting.]

Rob: [You have to feel for Alvarado. He did everything right, saved the penalty, and yet his team still lost.] fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Chris: [That’s the beauty and cruelty of football. A goalkeeper can be the hero one second and helpless the next.]

Rob: [And what about Altidore? He had the chances. Do you think he’ll be disappointed?]

Chris: [Oh, for sure. Strikers live for goals, and he’ll feel like he should have scored tonight. But that’s football—you have nights where nothing goes in, and this was one of those for him.]

Rob: [Final thoughts, Chris?]

Chris: [Well, this match had everything—drama, controversy, heartbreak, and late heroics. It’s why we love the game. Den Haag will celebrate, AZ Alkmaar will feel hard done by, and we’ll be talking about this one for a long time.]

Rob: [Absolutely. That’s all from us tonight. What a game. We’ll see you next time!]