FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER-Chapter 223: Finding the Net

The disappointment of dropping points in the Breda Yellow stadium still lingered as Utrecht prepared to face FC Groningen at the Galgenwaard. The home crowd would be expecting a response after such a disappointment, and Coach Wouters had made it clear that anything less than three points would be unacceptable.

"Groningen is a good team," he told the players during the pre-match briefing. "They’re well-organized, they have quality in attack, and they won’t make it easy for us. But we’re at home, we have the support of our fans, and we need to show that we’ve learned from last week’s mistakes."

The atmosphere in the dressing room was focused and determined. The players knew that consistency was the key to achieving their goals for the season, and dropping points at home would send the wrong message to both supporters and rivals.

Amani felt a different kind of pressure as he laced up his boots. The assist against NAC Breda had been satisfying, but he was still searching for his first goal since the spectacular performance against AZ Alkmaar. The System had been tracking his performances, and the data suggested that a goal was overdue.

[GOAL PROBABILITY: High - shot frequency and quality improving]

[CONFIDENCE LEVEL: Stable - maintain current approach]

[TACTICAL ROLE: Central to the team’s attacking play]

"You’re looking sharp in training," Jacob Mulenga observed as they prepared to head out for warm-ups. "The goal will come. Just keep doing what you’re doing."

The striker’s words were reassuring, but Amani knew that football could be cruel to players who overthought their performances. The best approach was to focus on the team’s needs and trust that individual success would follow.

The Galgenwaard was buzzing with anticipation as the teams emerged from the tunnel. The Utrecht supporters had turned out in force, creating a sea of red and white that seemed to pulse with energy. Banners celebrating recent victories were displayed prominently, and Amani could see several shirts with his name and number scattered throughout the crowd.

He was starting to get his own diehards.

From the opening whistle, Utrecht showed the kind of intensity that their supporters demanded. They pressed high, moved the ball quickly, and created chances with the fluidity that had become their trademark under Wouters’ guidance.

Groningen, managed by the experienced Erwin van de Looi, had clearly come with a defensive game plan. They sat deep, stayed compact, and looked to hit Utrecht on the counter-attack through the pace of their wingers.

For the first twenty minutes, the match followed a predictable pattern. Utrecht dominated possession and territory, while Groningen defended resolutely and waited for their opportunities. It was exactly the kind of game that could frustrate a team into making mistakes.

"Stay patient," Mark van der Maarel called out during a brief lull in play. "Keep moving the ball, keep stretching them. The spaces will come."

The breakthrough nearly came in the 23rd minute when Amani found himself in a promising position on the edge of the penalty area. Yassin Ayoub had played him in with a clever through ball, and for a moment, it looked like the perfect opportunity to break the deadlock.

But Groningen defender Kees van Buuren made a perfectly timed tackle, dispossessing Amani just as he was about to shoot. The crowd groaned in disappointment, but Amani quickly refocused on the next phase of play.

"Good movement," Ayoub said as they jogged back into position. "Keep making those runs. They can’t stop you every time."

The goal, when it finally came, was worth the wait. In the 34th minute, Utrecht worked the ball patiently from right to left, with each player taking one or two touches before moving it on. The movement was hypnotic, drawing Groningen’s defenders out of position as they tried to close down the ball.

Amani received the pass from Anouar Kali in a central position, about twenty-five yards from the goal. For a split second, he considered playing it wide to Alexander Gerndt, who was making a run down the left flank.

But something told him to trust his instincts. The Groningen defense had been drawn slightly to their right, leaving a small gap between the center-backs. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

Amani’s shot was struck with perfect technique - low, hard, and placed precisely into the bottom corner. Groningen goalkeeper Sergio Padt got a hand to it, but the power and placement were too good to stop.

The Galgenwaard erupted. Amani’s celebration was a pure expression of emotion - his arms raised, his face turned to the sky, a roar of satisfaction that seemed to come from deep within his soul. His teammates mobbed him, with Mulenga lifting him off his feet in a bear hug that nearly knocked them both over.

"What a strike!" Mulenga shouted over the noise of the crowd. "That’s the goal you’ve been waiting for!"

As they jogged back to the center circle, Amani felt a surge of confidence that went beyond the simple satisfaction of scoring. This goal felt different from the one against AZ - more composed, more calculated, more mature.

The System provided its immediate analysis:

[GOAL QUALITY: Excellent - technique, placement, and timing all optimal]

[CONFIDENCE BOOST: Significant - psychological barrier overcome]

[TEAM IMPACT: Positive - momentum shift achieved]

Utrecht’s lead lasted until the 67th minute, when Groningen showed exactly why they were considered one of the Eredivisie’s most resilient teams. A corner kick from the right wing caused confusion in Utrecht’s penalty area, and striker Tomas Necid was on hand to poke the ball home from close range.

The equalizer was a blow to Utrecht’s confidence, but it also served as a reminder of how quickly momentum could shift in football. Groningen’s players celebrated as if they had won the match, while their small but vocal traveling support made themselves heard above the disappointed home crowd.

"Stay calm," van der Maarel told his teammates as they regrouped. "We’ve got twenty minutes to win this. Keep playing our game."

The final twenty minutes were a test of character for both teams. Utrecht pushed forward in search of a winner, while Groningen defended deep and looked for opportunities to catch their hosts on the break.

Amani came close to scoring a second goal in the 78th minute when his curling effort from the edge of the penalty area was tipped over the crossbar by Padt. The save was spectacular, and even the Utrecht supporters applauded the goalkeeper’s reflexes.

"Unlucky!" Édouard Duplan called out as they prepared for the resulting corner kick. "Keep shooting! You’re causing them problems!"

But despite Utrecht’s pressure, the equalizer never came. Groningen’s defensive discipline was impressive, and they managed to frustrate their hosts for the remainder of the match.

When the final whistle blew, confirming another 1-1 draw, the mood around the Galgenwaard was one of frustration rather than satisfaction. Utrecht had dominated the match, created the better chances, and deserved all three points.

"Football can be cruel sometimes," Coach Wouters said in his post-match interview. "We played well enough to win, but we need to be more clinical in front of the goal, take more chances and also shoot more. One goal isn’t enough when you create as many chances as we did today."

In the dressing room, the players were disappointed but not despondent. They knew they had performed well, and Amani’s goal had been a moment of genuine quality that would give them confidence going forward.

"Great goal," van der Maarel said, clapping Amani on the shoulder. "That’s the kind of strike that wins matches. We just need to make sure we score more than one next time."

For Amani, the goal was a significant milestone. It proved that he could find the net consistently at the highest level at the age of fifteen, and it gave him the confidence to continue taking risks in attacking positions.

The System provided its final assessment:

[PERFORMANCE RATING: Excellent - goal and overall positive contribution]

[DEVELOPMENT MILESTONE: Significant - consistent goal threat established]

[TEAM ROLE: Central - key player in attacking phases]

[FUTURE OUTLOOK: Positive - continued improvement trajectory]

As he made his way home that evening, Amani reflected on the afternoon’s events. The draw was disappointing, but his goal had been a moment of pure satisfaction. He was beginning to understand that football was about more than individual achievements and accolades, as it was about contributing to the team’s success in whatever way possible.

The goal against Groningen had been different from his spectacular strike against AZ. It was more composed, more calculated, and it showed that he was developing the kind of consistency that separated good players from great ones.

There would be more challenges ahead, more opportunities to prove himself, and more lessons to learn. But for now, Amani was content to savor the feeling of finding the net at the Galgenwaard, surrounded by teammates who believed in him and supporters who had adopted him as one of their own.

17 February 2013 - Eredivisie MD 22 vs FC Groningen (H) - 1-1 D

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢