God Of football

Chapter 1026: Nothing Random With Him!

Even with the deficit, Saudi Arabia didn’t look fazed.

The players returned to their respective positions and waited until the Spanish players were settled.

A goal could be redeemed in a matter of seconds, and so they weren’t going to let it weigh them down.

But after the kickoff, they found themselves wanting.

As play continued, Spain started siphoning their energy with the way they chased after the ball, so much so that it was almost like they were the ones with the goal deficit.

They pressed, leaving Saudi Arabia with no way out until eventually, they were forced to clear the ball for fear of giving it away.

Still, that was no better because after they gave the ball away, Spain got more threatening.

Fermín went close twice in the space of five minutes, once forcing a save and once dragging a shot wide when he probably should have squared it.

The Saudi keeper was earning his place in the game in a way that his opposite number at the other end wasn’t being asked to.

"Spain are pushing for a second here. Saudi Arabia have dropped a little deeper since the goal, which was probably inevitable, but they’re still organised. Still making Spain work for every yard."

Pedri was finding pockets between the Saudi lines and using them well, moving the ball quickly enough that the press Saudi had come out with in the first ten minutes was no longer viable at the energy it had required.

So they changed to the same formation and the same compact tactic they had sworn not to use before the start of the game.

They weren’t happy with being forced to only defend, but it was the only thing they could do for survival.

As the game progressed, Lamine was the one who nearly made it two after he received the ball wide, drove inside past one player and then another before he hit it low and hard towards the bottom corner.

The effort looked certain, the moment it left his foot and the Saudi keeper could only stare as the ball homed into the back of the net, making the Saudi end behind the goal go quiet, but it wasn’t for long.

As the Spanish end started rising up, the linesman’s flag went up with it, causing the celebrating Spanish players to turn in surprise before they immediately began rushing towards the official to complain, but it didn’t look like he was going to be changing his decision.

"Offside," the commentary came through as the camera panned towards Lamine, who was walking back towards his position while shaking his head at the decision.

"The goal is ruled out. And from the replay, you can see it’s marginal, desperately close, but the linesman has it, and the referee is going with it. Of course, Spain aren’t too pleased with the result."

"Agonising for Spain," the co-commentator came through.

"That would have been a deserved second, and on another evening the flag stays down."

After that scare, the game played out the remainder of the half in the same register, with Spain staying threatening and Saudi Arabia weathering each attacking attempt until their best moment since the start of the game came in the forty-third minute when a quick transition got their forward in behind Le Normand, who recovered just in time to put it out for a corner.

The whistle came for halftime, and with it came an almost resounding exhale from the Saudi end, not even realising what had been bottled up in them since the start of the game.

Izanwas on his feet before the sound had fully finished, rising from the bench quietly before turning toward the tunnel.

As he made his way there, a row of hands came over the advertising boards from the Spanish supporters nearest the touchline, and he went along them one by one, palm to palm, without stopping, before disappearing into the tunnel as the commentary carried on above.

"So, halftime here in Atlanta," Peter Drury called as the players on the pitch all turned towards the tunnel.

"Spain lead Saudi Arabia one-nil through Samu Omorodion’s first and only attempt at goal.

It has been a professional performance without being a dominant one, and Luis de la Fuente will know his side should really be further ahead.

Saudi Arabia, for their part, have been far better than their group position suggests, and this game is very much alive going into the second forty-five."

Once they got into the dressing room, most of the players plopped onto their seats while a few walked over to the corner where the physiotherapist was, looking to release whatever muscle that had tensed up in the course of the game.

De la Fuente stood to one side in conversation with his assistant, the two of them going through something on the tablet between them while the players around the room talked loosely about the first half and how they could have and should have been at least another goal up.

After a few minutes, De la Fuente looked up, and as he did, the room found its quiet.

"As you all know, we should be two or three up," he said, "but we’re not. And that means that we are not doing something right.

Yes, they might be doing something well, but when you miss all those chances, the problem stems from us."

"When we go back out there, I need your minds right. There is no comfortable lead in this tournament. There is no game you walk through."

"If you’re not performing, someone else will. That’s not a threat. That’s just how it works."

The players nodded at his words as his eyes moved across the room and settled briefly on Izan, who was sitting with his phone face down on his knee and his head down too.

De la Fuente kept his eyes on him a bit longer before turning and then beckoning his assistant closer.

"Find something for him to do," he muttered before exiting the room.

The assistant waited a moment as the noise returned, and then he crossed the room and crouched beside Izan.

"The boss wants you warming up when the second half starts."

The assistant straightened and moved away afterwards while Izan picked up his phone, looked at the screen briefly, then put it in his bag.

Then he started pulling off the Spanish jacket, which got a lot of the Spanish eyes on him for something so random, but they knew it wasn’t!