Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King-Chapter 297: End-to-end Stuff

Liverpool refused to back down. The moment Reina secured the ball, he launched a quick throw to Johnson, who sprinted forward, determined to push the tempo.

The fullback cut inside and laid it off to Gerrard, who turned sharply and switched play with a lofted pass to Sterling on the left.

[Here come Liverpool again, Peter! They’re not slowing down!]

[They can’t afford to, John. They need a goal before AZ Alkmaar settle into this lead.]

Sterling controlled the ball on the run and drove at Marcellis once more. The defender, already tormented by the young Englishman’s pace, hesitated.

Sterling took advantage, knocking the ball past him and accelerating toward the 18 yard box.

[Oh, that’s too easy for Sterling! He’s got space—]

Sterling whipped in a driven cross. This time, it was perfect. The ball fizzed into the six-yard box where Suárez lurked, ghosting in between two defenders.

[Suárez! He’s in!]

The Uruguayan stretched, making contact with the ball just ahead of Alvarado. The entire stadium braced for the inevitable—

[OH, HE’S MISSED IT!]

The ball skidded wide of the post. Suárez fell to his knees, hands on his head, disbelief written all over his face.

[Unbelievable, John! That should have been the equalizer!]

[You’d bet your house on Suárez burying that chance, Peter. Nine times out of ten, he scores that]

The AZ Alkmaar fans roared, relieved beyond measure. Alvarado exhaled sharply, quickly urging his teammates to regroup.

Suárez, still shaking his head, pulled himself up and jogged back, frustration evident in his expression.

[How big could that miss be? Liverpool are piling on the pressure, but they need to start taking their chances]

[Exactly, John. AZ Alkmaar won’t keep letting them off the hook forever.]

AZ Alkmaar restarted play cautiously, holding possession to slow Liverpool’s momentum.

Martens played a clever one-two with Henriksen before launching a pass out wide on the right wing to Berghuis, who had drifted into space.

[AZ Alkmaar aren’t just sitting back, Peter. They’re still looking to attack when they get the chance.]

[That’s the right approach, John. If they sit too deep, Liverpool will overwhelm them eventually.]

Berghuis took on Enrique, cutting inside onto his left foot. With a quick shift, he created half a yard of space and let fly from distance.

[Berghuis with a strike—]

Reina saw it late but reacted quickly, diving to his right to push the ball away. The rebound spilled into a dangerous area—

[Here’s Altidore!]

Altidore pounced, looking to hammer it home, but Skrtel slid in at the last moment, sending the ball spinning away for a corner.

[What a block by Skrtel! That was last-ditch defending at its finest!]

[That was a huge moment, John. If AZ Alkmaar had doubled their lead there, Liverpool would be in serious trouble.]

The corner was taken short, Benjamin linking up with Henriksen before floating a teasing ball toward the back post. Viergever rose highest, his header flashing just over the crossbar.

[That’s another warning for Liverpool. AZ Alkmaar aren’t just going to sit back and defend.]

Liverpool regained possession and pushed forward again, refusing to let the game settle. Sterling, ever the danger man, combined with Gerrard and Allen before breaking down the left once more.

This time, he cut inside, darting between two defenders and squaring the ball into the 18 yard box.

[Great ball in! Suárez is there again!]

Suárez turned sharply, took a touch to set himself, and fired—

[BLOCKED!]

Viergever, throwing his body in front of the shot, made another crucial intervention. The ball ricocheted out to Gerrard, who wasted no time and struck it on the volley.

[Gerrard!]

The shot was venomous, but Alvarado, in inspired form, leaped across his goal and tipped it over the bar.

[Alvarado again! He is keeping AZ Alkmaar in this!]

[This is turning into one of those legendary goalkeeping performances, Peter. Liverpool will be wondering what they have to do to beat him.]

The Reds were relentless. From the resulting corner, Agger powered a header toward goal, only for Alvarado to punch it away. The ball fell to Allen at the edge of the 18 yard box, but his shot flew high and wide.

[It’s all Liverpool right now, but still, they can’t find a way through.]

[They’re creating so many chances, John, but AZ Alkmaar are hanging on by their fingernails.]

Brendan Rodgers paced on the touchline, gesturing for more urgency. He knew they needed a breakthrough before halftime.

As Liverpool pushed numbers forward, AZ Alkmaar saw an opening. Henriksen intercepted a pass and immediately sent Benjamin flying down the right wing.

[And here we go again! Benjamin in full stride!]

Carragher and Agger rushed back, knowing how dangerous the teenager was. Benjamin slowed, teasing them with a series of stepovers before darting inside. He skipped past Carragher, then flicked the ball past Agger with a slick no-look backheel turn.

[This kid is something else, John!]

[He’s playing like he’s been in these big games for years, Peter!]

Benjamin surged into the 18 yard box and fired low toward the far post. Reina reacted fast, diving and getting a fingertip to it, pushing it just wide.

[Reina saves Liverpool there! That was nearly two for AZ Alkmaar!]

[What a game we’re watching, John. It’s end-to-end, it’s intense, and it’s impossible to predict what happens next.]

As the time closed in on the 30th minute, Liverpool pushed forward once more. Gerrard, determined to make something happen, found a pocket of space and curled in a deep cross.

It sailed over the AZ Alkmaar defense, dropping perfectly for Suárez at the back post.

[Suárez! This is it!]

Suárez connected sweetly with a volley—

[NO! HE’S PUT IT WIDE!]

Gasps filled the stadium. The Liverpool striker had the goal at his mercy, yet somehow, the ball drifted past the post. Suárez stood frozen with hands in his hair, unable to believe what had just happened.

[You do not see that often, John. Suárez missing three golden chances in one half? That’s unheard of]

[It just hasn’t been his night so far, Peter. But Liverpool have to keep going. The chances are coming—one of them has to go in eventually]