My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 40: Mud Runner

"Off the bar!"

"Whoa! I can’t believe he generated that much power with his weak foot."

"Rio is fired up."

The Leeds bench whooped and cheered as they saw the exciting play. They were now in a position to take the lead so late into the game. All they needed was one moment of magic and there would be a guaranteed win.

Rio headed over to the touchline for a throw-in, turning his gaze to the Manager and awaiting instructions. Manager Farke tapped his chin and pointed to the box, giving the signal for him to do as he pleased. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Kyaa! Go Rio! Score a goal for us!"

A group of teenagers in the front row called out; they were the academy kids from Nando’s who had asked for his Snapchat earlier. Despite having the mind of a gamer, Rio still felt some embarrassment at the extra attention.

Not far away from the kids was Sarah, the neighbor from the women’s team, sitting with a few of her teammates. She was a little more reserved, but she looked cool in her Leeds hoodie and seemed to be watching intently.

Rio shook his head, trying to remove any distracting thoughts. It was a critical point in the game since they were tied 1-1 in the 85th minute.

The Harrogate "Butcher" seemed to be annoyed that he had almost conceded a screamer; Rio could see it in his body language. That was the problem with lower-league defenders, they often let their anger guide them in most things.

An idea flashed through Rio’s mind and he quickly glanced at Mateo on the edge of the box, making a small signal with his left hand. Mateo’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly composed himself and nodded.

Harrogate’s defense managed to calm down after a few moments and peeked over at the winger on the touchline. The Butcher brought his two hands to his chest before preparing to crush anyone who came near him.

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: The big man is angry. He is steaming like a kettle! Rio, use the cape! Be the Matador!

Total_Football_14: He is overcommitting. Look at the space behind him. It is free real estate.

The_Phenomenon_9: Just nutmeg him again. It is funny.

Rio picked it the moment the ball left the thrower’s hands. It was the perfect ball to limit the options that a winger could take. Unfortunately for Harrogate, he had other plans.

He leaned forward and trapped the ball in one smooth motion, tracking the Butcher all the way up until he was breathing down his neck. Then with practiced ease, he didn’t dribble away. Instead, he stopped the ball dead and turned his back, shielding it.

"He’s stopping!?" Bill called out in shock as the play unfolded in front of his eyes. He had not expected to see such a tactic being employed, especially since Rio had the capability to burn him with speed.

Harrogate were caught off guard as both the Butcher and the center-back went to double-team the stationary winger. The Butcher managed to get there first and was about to hack at Rio’s ankles when he heard the shout from the goalkeeper.

"RUNNER!"

The Butcher spun around in one motion and tried to block the passing lane as fast as he could. However, his face twisted in shock and confusion when he turned his head and saw that the ball was already gone.

Since the ball was shielded, Rio had used his heel to flick it blindly into the space he had just vacated. So while the Butcher may have been the first one to get to the man, the entire defense was in disarray because of the ball.

Mateo took advantage of the mayhem to continue his run past the defensive line and onto the ball. Only a few seconds later, the ball finally sat up perfectly for the midfielder.

"Shoot!"

The Manchester United scout and Bill were speechless. This was not the sort of tactical intelligence that they would have expected from a pre-season friendly at this level.

"Was it the manager’s decision, or was it Rio’s?"

"Surely it couldn’t have purely been that boy’s decision to pause like that," the scout commented, scribbling furiously.

"I’m not sure. But all I can say is that backheel was masterful. It had the perfect weight and timing so as to draw in both defenders, causing chaos in the box." Bill stated, adjusting his flat cap once again.

"He’s so versatile and has great awareness of his teammates, he would be a huge boost to any Premier League side."

There was silence for a few moments before a sigh broke out from the scout.

"It’s just such a shame about his frame."

A helpless smile formed on the scout’s face as he closed the notebook. "I think we’ve seen enough to make some informed decisions."

The scout stood up and was about to head out of the exit to beat the traffic. However, he paused as he saw something happening on the pitch.

He turned back around and began looking in the crowd for someone. It wasn’t long until he was able to track him down, considering the foreign features and nervous expression of the man.

"Mr. Lance," the scout nodded.

"Ah, is that the United man? Nice to see you." Carlos smiled nervously; he recognized the suit from the row below.

"The pleasure is all mine. I wanted to talk about your son if you have the time."

Carlos held his hand up, telling him to stop. "Mateo is about to shoot, let’s wait a moment."

The scout nodded and turned around to watch the game once again.

BANG!

A wide smile appeared on his features as he saw the ball sailing into the top corner, followed by a loud cheer from the Leeds bench and the traveling fans. The scout felt even more confident in his decision and therefore turned back around to the father.

"That was Mateo, right? The number 8?"

"Yes, that is Mateo. Rio’s best friend," Carlos replied, clapping his hands until they hurt.

"I want to keep a close eye on him for Manchester United’s future. I hope you can pass on my card to his agent." The scout bowed slightly, handing over a sleek business card.

Carlos’s eyes lit up, however, he deferred to the boys in such situations, since it was their career.

"I will tell him. But Rio?" Carlos asked, pointing to his son who was currently jumping on Mateo’s back.

"Rio is special," the scout admitted. "But Mateo... he has the engine of a Rolls Royce. We like Rolls Royces at Old Trafford."

With that, the scout walked away, leaving Carlos stunned.

On the pitch, the referee blew the final whistle.

Harrogate Town 1 - 2 Leeds United.

"We won!" Rio screamed, hugging Mateo. "And you scored a banger!"

"Thanks to your pass," Mateo laughed, wiping mud from his face. "You made them look like statues."

They walked over to the fans to clap. The "Nando’s kids" were screaming Rio’s name. Sarah gave him a subtle thumbs up from the stands.

"Not bad for a debut," Rio grinned.

"Not bad at all," Mateo agreed. "But Rio... my legs are dead. Carry me to the bus?"

"Fuck off," Rio laughed, shoving him. "Walk yourself."

As they headed down the tunnel, Rio felt a vibration in his pocket.

DING

[Mission Completed]

[Reward: Skill ’Mud Runner’ Acquired]

[Reward: 500 Major Points]