FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER-Chapter 220: Home Sweet Home

The Galgenwaard stadium was buzzing with an energy that Amani had rarely experienced in his time at Utrecht. Word of his spectacular goal against AZ Alkmaar had spread like wildfire through the city, and the home crowd had turned out in force to see if their young star could produce more magic against RKC Waalwijk.

As Amani walked out for the warm-up, the reception was unlike anything he’d experienced before. A section of the crowd began chanting his name before he’d even touched the ball, and he could see homemade banners with "AMANI 37" and "KENYAN PRINCE" scattered throughout the stands.

"Listen to that," Mark van der Maarel said, jogging alongside him. "They’re here to see you, kid."

The captain’s words carried no jealousy, only pride. In the week since the AZ match, the entire team had embraced Amani’s growing status. His goal hadn’t just won them three points; it had announced Utrecht as a team to be taken seriously.

Coach Wouters had made minimal changes to the starting lineup that had triumphed in Alkmaar. The same eleven that had shown such character and unity would get the chance to build on that performance at home.

"Different atmosphere today," Yassin Ayoub observed as they went through their passing drills. "The crowd’s expecting something special."

"Then we give them something special," Jacob Mulenga replied, his usual pre-match intensity already evident. "But we do it as a team."

The striker’s words resonated with Amani. The attention was flattering, but football remained a collective sport. His individual brilliance meant nothing without the platform his teammates provided.

RKC Waalwijk arrived at the Galgenwaard with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Sitting in the bottom half of the table, they knew that a result against Utrecht could kickstart their season. Their manager, Erwin van de Looi, had clearly studied the AZ match and would have prepared his team for Utrecht’s attacking threats.

As the teams lined up in the tunnel, Amani could feel the familiar pre-match butterflies. But there was something different this time - a confidence that hadn’t been there before. The AZ goal had proven to himself and everyone else that he belonged at this level.

The System provided its pre-match assessment:

[CONFIDENCE LEVEL: Significantly elevated following AZ performance]

[CROWD EXPECTATION: High - manage pressure effectively]

[TACTICAL FOCUS: Maintain team-first mentality despite individual attention]

The match began at a blistering pace, with Utrecht immediately asserting their dominance. The home crowd’s energy seemed to lift the players, and within the first ten minutes, they had created three clear chances.

Amani was at the heart of everything. Playing in his preferred central midfield role alongside Anouar Kali and Yassin Ayoub, he had the freedom to drift between the lines and find pockets of space that RKC’s compact defensive shape couldn’t quite cover.

In the 12th minute, he nearly opened the scoring with a curling effort from the edge of the box that forced RKC goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou into a spectacular save. The crowd groaned in unison, then applauded the quality of both the shot and the save.

"Keep going!" shouted a voice from the stands. "It’s coming!"

The breakthrough came in the 18th minute, and it was a goal that perfectly encapsulated Utrecht’s team ethic. Amani started the move with a perfectly weighted pass to Alexander Gerndt on the left wing. The Swedish winger beat his marker and delivered a cross that Jacob Mulenga met with a powerful header.

As Mulenga wheeled away in celebration, he immediately sought out Amani, pointing to the young midfielder and applauding the pass that had created the opportunity. It was a gesture that spoke volumes about the team’s unity and Mulenga’s character as a leader.

"Beautiful ball!" Mulenga shouted over the crowd noise as they embraced. "Keep finding me like that!"

Utrecht’s second goal came just eight minutes later, and this time Amani was directly involved in the finish. Receiving the ball from Édouard Duplan on the right wing, he drove into the penalty area with the kind of directness that had become his trademark.

As two RKC defenders converged on him, Amani spotted Yassin Ayoub making a late run into the box. The pass was inch-perfect, and Ayoub made no mistake with the finish, sliding the ball past Lamprou with clinical precision.

The celebration was pure joy. Ayoub ran straight to Amani, lifting him off his feet in a bear hug that nearly knocked them both over. The rest of the team piled on, and for a moment, the Galgenwaard felt like the center of the football universe.

"Two assists already!" Ayoub laughed as they jogged back to the center circle. "Save some for the rest of us!"

But RKC weren’t about to roll over. Van de Looi’s team had shown character throughout the season, and they responded to going two goals down with increased intensity and purpose.

In the 34th minute, they pulled one back through a well-worked set piece. A corner from the right was met by defender Donny Gorter, whose header found the bottom corner despite Robbin Ruiter’s best efforts.

The goal served as a wake-up call for Utrecht. The crowd’s euphoria was replaced by nervous tension, and suddenly the match felt far from over.

"Stay calm," van der Maarel called out to his teammates. "We’re still in control. Keep playing our game."

The captain’s words proved prescient. Utrecht’s response to conceding was immediate and emphatic. Just three minutes later, they restored their two-goal advantage through a moment of individual brilliance from Édouard Duplan.

The French winger received the ball on the right touchline and proceeded to beat three RKC defenders with a combination of pace, skill, and determination that had the crowd on their feet. His finish was equally impressive, a low drive that nestled in the far corner.

As Duplan celebrated in front of the home supporters, Amani couldn’t help but smile. This was what he loved about football - the way individual moments of magic could emerge from collective effort.

The first half ended with Utrecht leading 3-1, but the scoreline didn’t tell the full story. RKC had shown enough quality and determination to suggest that the second half would be far from straightforward.

In the dressing room, Coach Wouters was measured in his assessment. "Good performance, but we can’t afford to relax. RKC will come out fighting in the second half. We need to match their intensity and take our chances when they come."

The coach’s words proved prophetic. RKC emerged from the tunnel with renewed purpose, pressing higher and taking more risks in their pursuit of a way back into the match.

For twenty minutes, Utrecht found themselves under sustained pressure. RKC’s midfield, led by the experienced Anouar Hadouir, began to dominate possession and create chances with increasing regularity.

In the 67th minute, their persistence paid off. A cross from the left wing found striker Michiel Kramer unmarked in the penalty area, and his header gave Ruiter no chance. Suddenly, the score was 3-2, and the Galgenwaard fell silent.

"This is when we show our character," van der Maarel told his teammates as they regrouped. "We’ve been here before. We know how to close out games."

The captain’s leadership proved crucial. Utrecht responded to the pressure with the kind of composure that comes from experience and confidence. They slowed the tempo, kept possession, and waited for their moment.

It came in the 78th minute, and once again, Amani was at the heart of it.

Receiving the ball in his own half, he looked up and spotted Alexander Gerndt making a run behind the RKC defense. The pass was perfect - a 40-yard diagonal ball that split the defense and found Gerndt in acres of space.

The Swedish winger still had work to do, but his finish was clinical. A composed touch to control the ball, followed by a low shot that beat Lamprou at his near post. The Galgenwaard erupted, and Utrecht had their two-goal cushion back.

"What a pass!" Gerndt shouted as he ran toward Amani. "I could have been blindfolded and still scored from that!"

The goal effectively killed the match as a contest. RKC’s heads dropped, and Utrecht were able to see out the remaining minutes with relative comfort.

As the final whistle blew, confirming a 4-2 victory, Amani felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Two assists and a dominant performance in front of the home crowd - it was exactly the kind of display that would further cement his growing reputation.

But more importantly, it had been a team performance. Every player had contributed, and the victory felt like a collective achievement rather than an individual showcase.

In the post-match interviews, Amani was careful to emphasize the team’s role in his success.

"The assists were only possible because of the movement and finishing of my teammates," he told the gathered reporters. "Jacob and Yassin made perfect runs, and Alexander’s finish for the fourth goal was world-class. Football is a team sport, and today showed what we can achieve when we work together." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

The response earned approving nods from Coach Wouters, who had been standing nearby monitoring the interview. The young midfielder was learning not just how to play at the highest level, but how to handle the responsibilities that came with success.

As Amani made his way back to the dressing room, he was stopped by a group of young fans who had waited by the tunnel. Their faces were painted in Utrecht colors, and they clutched homemade banners and scarves.

"Amani! Can you sign this?" asked a boy who couldn’t have been more than ten years old, holding out a Utrecht shirt with Amani’s name and number on the back.

"Of course," Amani replied, taking the shirt and a pen from the boy’s mother. "What’s your name?"

"Thomas. I want to play like you when I grow up."

The simple statement hit Amani harder than he expected. Here was a child who saw him as a role model, someone to aspire to be like. The responsibility was both humbling and inspiring.

"Keep practicing," Amani told Thomas as he handed back the signed shirt. "And remember - football is about having fun and playing with your friends. The rest will come naturally."

As he finally made it to the dressing room, Amani reflected on how much his life had changed in just a few months. From a promising academy player to a first-team regular, from relative anonymity to having children wear his name on their backs.

The System provided its post-match analysis:

[PERFORMANCE RATING: Excellent - two assists and dominant midfield display]

[TEAM INTEGRATION: Outstanding - leadership qualities emerging]

[PUBLIC PROFILE: Continued positive growth]

[PRESSURE MANAGEMENT: Effective handling of increased expectations]

But beyond the statistics and assessments, Amani felt something more profound. He was exactly where he belonged, doing exactly what he was meant to do. The journey from Mombasa to Utrecht had been long and sometimes difficult, but moments like this made every sacrifice worthwhile.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new expectations, and new opportunities. But tonight, he was content to celebrate with his teammates and savor the feeling of a job well done.

The boy from Kenya was becoming a man in Holland, and the future had never looked brighter.

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