FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER-Chapter 227: The Perfect Storm

The morning of the NEC Nijmegen match began with news that would have made any other sixteen-year-old dizzy with excitement. Sophia’s text message arrived at 7:30 AM, just as Amani was finishing his pre-match breakfast: "Bitcoin up 47% since our investment. Tesla up 23%. Your crystal ball is working."

Amani smiled as he read the message, but his focus remained laser-sharp on the task ahead. The System had been providing increasingly detailed analyses of his development, and the latest assessment was remarkable:

[PHYSICAL FITNESS: A+ - Peak athletic conditioning achieved]

[FOOTBALL TECHNIQUE: A+ (Masterclass) - Technical execution at elite professional level]

[GAME INTELLIGENCE: A+ - Tactical awareness and decision-making optimized]

[MENTALITY: S (Unshakable) - Psychological resilience at legendary status]

But it was the evolution of his legendary skills that truly set him apart. Ruud Gullit’s Visionary Pass had undergone a remarkable upgrade - Peripheral Vision+ now allowed him to execute passes during 2-second strobe blackouts using auditory cues. Combined with De Zwarte Doos, he could create "phantom lanes" that were invisible to opponents.

His Weighted Through Pass had developed Echo Mapping capabilities, using crowd noise and boot-scuff sounds to calibrate lofted passes with supernatural precision. The Dipping Shot had evolved into Strobe-Sync Finish, timing shots to sync with goalkeepers’ visual reset during flickers when their eyes weren’t focusing.

As Amani arrived at the Galgenwaard, he could feel the familiar pre-match energy building. NEC Nijmegen were fighting for every point in their battle against relegation, and they would arrive with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"You look different today," Mark van der Maarel observed as they went through their warm-up routine. "More... focused, if that’s even possible."

The captain wasn’t wrong. Amani felt like every system in his body was operating at peak efficiency. His Matchwinner Mentality and Clutch Performer traits were humming with anticipation, while his Spatial Puppeteer ability was already mapping the tactical landscape of the match ahead.

"I feel good," Amani replied simply. "Really good."

The System provided its pre-match tactical analysis:

[OPPONENT ASSESSMENT: NEC - Desperate, physical, direct approach expected]

[TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: High - skill differential significant]

[LEGENDARY SKILL OPTIMIZATION: All systems operational]

[ANCHORING INFLUENCE: Active - teammates within 10-meter radius showing improved composure]

The match began with NEC employing exactly the tactics everyone had expected - high pressing, physical challenges, and direct balls toward their target man. But from the opening whistle, it was clear that Utrecht were operating on a different level.

Amani’s first touch of the ball came in the 8th minute, receiving a pass from Anouar Kali under pressure from two NEC midfielders. What happened next was pure artistry.

De Zwarte Doos activated instinctively, creating a micro-pause that seemed to freeze time around him. In that split second, Amani’s enhanced peripheral vision mapped every player’s position, every potential passing lane, every opportunity for spatial manipulation. freёweɓnovel_com

The NEC players converged on him, certain they had him trapped. But Amani had already seen three moves ahead. A subtle shift of his body weight sent the first defender the wrong way, a delicate touch with the outside of his foot took him past the second, and suddenly he was in space with the entire NEC defense scrambling to reorganize.

The pass that followed was vintage Gullit - a 40-yard diagonal ball that seemed to bend the laws of physics as it found Alexander Gerndt in acres of space on the left wing. The Swedish winger didn’t even need to break stride as he collected the ball and drove toward the penalty area.

"Incredible vision!" shouted a voice from the stands. "How did he even see that pass?"

The answer was that Amani hadn’t just seen it - he had felt it, heard it, sensed it through the symphony of sounds and movements that his enhanced abilities allowed him to process. The crowd’s intake of breath, the subtle change in Gerndt’s running rhythm, the goalkeeper’s positioning - all of it combined to create a perfect picture of opportunity.

Utrecht’s opening goal came in the 23rd minute, and it was a masterpiece of collective brilliance orchestrated by Amani’s supernatural game intelligence. Starting from a throw-in deep in Utrecht’s half, he began weaving a web of passes that gradually drew NEC’s players out of position.

First, a simple ball to Yassin Ayoub that looked innocuous but was perfectly weighted to arrive just as the NEC midfielder committed to a tackle. Then a quick one-two with Jacob Mulenga that opened up a passing lane that hadn’t existed seconds before. Finally, the killer pass - a weighted through ball that used Echo Mapping to account for the wind, the pitch conditions, and the exact timing of Édouard Duplan’s run.

The French winger’s finish was clinical, but it was Amani’s pass that had made it inevitable. The ball arrived at the perfect height, with the perfect pace, at the perfect moment. Duplan barely had to adjust his stride as he slotted it past the NEC goalkeeper.

"That’s not human," muttered NEC coach Alex Pastoor from the sideline. "How does a sixteen-year-old see the game like that?"

The celebration was pure joy, but Amani’s mind was already moving to the next phase of the match. His Anchoring Influence was having a visible effect on his teammates - their passing was crisper, their movement more confident, their decision-making sharper. Within his 10-meter radius, Utrecht were playing like a team possessed.

The second goal came just before halftime, and it showcased the full range of Amani’s evolved abilities. NEC had been growing increasingly frustrated with their inability to get close to him, and their challenges were becoming more desperate and less precise.

In the 43rd minute, NEC midfielder Dries Mertens attempted to dispossess Amani with a sliding tackle that was more hope than technique. But Amani’s Elite Composure allowed him to maintain perfect focus even as the challenge came in, using De Zwarte Doos to create a micro-pause that gave him time to assess his options.

The skill that followed was pure poetry. A subtle touch lifted the ball over Mertens’ sliding leg, a quick step to the right took him past the recovering defender, and suddenly he was bearing down on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The Dipping Shot that followed was enhanced by Strobe-Sync Finish, timed perfectly to coincide with the goalkeeper’s visual reset. The ball dipped and swerved in a way that seemed to defy physics, nestling into the bottom corner with such precision that the net barely moved.

The Galgenwaard erupted. Amani’s celebration was understated - a simple raise of his arms to acknowledge the crowd - but his teammates mobbed him with the kind of reverence usually reserved for established superstars.

"That’s the best goal I’ve ever seen at this level," van der Maarel said as they jogged back to the center circle. "The technique, the composure, the finish - it was perfect."

The second half was a masterclass in game management. Utrecht controlled the tempo completely, with Amani orchestrating every phase of play like a conductor leading a symphony. His Spatial Puppeteer ability was in full effect, using micro-movements and positioning to manipulate NEC’s defensive shape and create opportunities for his teammates.

But perhaps most impressive was how he elevated everyone around him. The Anchoring Influence was working at maximum efficiency, and every Utrecht player within his radius was performing above their usual level. Passes that would normally be risky became routine, movements that would typically be hesitant became decisive.

In the 67th minute, Amani nearly completed his hat-trick with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area that crashed against the crossbar. The shot was struck with such precision that it left a mark on the woodwork, and the crowd’s collective gasp could be heard throughout the stadium.

"Save of the season!" the NEC goalkeeper claimed afterward, though replays would show that the ball had been destined for the top corner regardless of his positioning.

As the final whistle approached, Amani’s Time Fracture ability began to activate automatically. His perception of the game slowed to 1.2x speed, allowing him to process every detail of the closing minutes with supernatural clarity. Every pass, every movement, every tactical adjustment became crystal clear.

When the referee finally blew for full-time, confirming Utrecht’s 2-0 victory, the statistics told only part of the story. Amani had completed 94% of his passes, created seven chances, and dominated the midfield battle so completely that NEC’s players looked like they were playing a different sport.

But the numbers couldn’t capture the artistry, the intelligence, or the sheer otherworldly quality of his performance. This hadn’t been just a football match - it had been a demonstration of what was possible when legendary skills met unshakable mentality.

In the post-match interviews, NEC’s players were unanimous in their praise.

"I’ve played against some of the best midfielders in Europe," said Mertens. "But I’ve never seen anything like what that kid did today. He sees things that don’t exist, makes passes that shouldn’t be possible. He’s not just talented - he’s something else entirely."

Coach Wouters was more measured in his assessment, but his pride was evident. "Amani showed today why he’s considered one of the most promising young players in world football. But more importantly, he showed the kind of leadership and game intelligence that can’t be taught."

As Amani made his way home that evening, his phone buzzed with another message from Sophia: "Watched the match highlights. Your performance was as impressive as your investment portfolio. Both seem to be operating at a level that defies normal explanation."

The System provided its final assessment of the day:

[PERFORMANCE RATING: Legendary - All metrics exceeded optimal parameters]

[SKILL EVOLUTION: Significant - New capabilities demonstrated]

[TEAM IMPACT: Transformational - Anchoring Influence at maximum efficiency]

[DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY: Unprecedented - Approaching theoretical limits]

But beyond the statistics and assessments, Amani felt something deeper. He was no longer just a talented young player trying to make his mark - he was becoming something unprecedented in the world of football. His legendary skills were evolving, his mentality was unshakable, and his impact on matches was becoming supernatural.

03 March 2013 - Eredivisie MD 24 vs NEC Nijmegen (H) - 2-0 W

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