If he scores another, I'll eat my shoe live

Rewind to five minutes ago.

In the HOTSTAR live stream room.

Shaiju says, "Zidane is heading towards the bench, looks like he's about to make a substitution. Based on past games, he'll probably pull Bale and bring on James Rodriguez for his excellent vision and long-range shooting, to boost the midfield's attacking power."

Bineesh nods, a smug look on his face as a die-hard Barcelona fan: "Thinking of turning the game around now is a pipe dream,they should just focus on scoring to save some face."

"Huh?"

Shaiju sounds surprised, a bit unsure as he continues, "Warming up with number 67 is..."

He can't quite remember the name of this Indian player, flipping through his notes with a bit of embarrassment, then adds, "Is that Rohan Singh?"

"Rohan Singh?"

Bineesh recalls, "Rohan Singh, 20 years old from Punjab, plays as an attacking midfielder. He's got a decent vision and long-range shot, once touted as one of the most talented players from India in recent years. Too bad he ignored advice and went to Europe, fading from the Indian football scene. Let's see if he can impress tonight."

He can't help but chuckle at the end.

Clearly, he doesn't have high hopes for Rohan Singh, even thinking it's ridiculous to let a relatively average Indian player play in such a crucial match.

But since it's a live broadcast, he quickly adjusts his mood.

The online viewers in the live stream room aren't as composed, typing their opinions rapidly.

"Real Madrid is letting an Indian player play? Are you kidding me? This isn't how you tank a game."

"I don't like that comment above. What do you mean by 'letting an Indian player play'? Our Indian players can play well too."

"Look at them now, all out of shape, can't keep up with the pace, it's embarrassing."

"True, Rohan is only good enough for domestic games. Against Barca, he probably won't even get a touch. If I were him, I'd head back home now to avoid further embarrassment."

The chat is filled with insults, doubts, and mockery, and even the occasional supportive comment for Rohan is quickly drowned out by others.

...

At the Santiago Bernabéu, the game continues.

Cristiano Ronaldo stands six feet from the ball, legs set apart like a compass, eyes fiercely fixed on Barcelona's goal.

His gaze is filled with ferocity and determination, and a burning desire to score.

As the king of Bernabéu, he's determined to score and redeem Real Madrid.

Damn, it's a free kick.

I wish I could take it!!!

Rohan watches eagerly as the ball sits just outside the box, his eyes just as fiery.

After maxing out his free-kick skills, he's 90% sure he can get the ball past the Barcelona keeper.

But at this moment, he's hardly trusted by his teammates, how could he possibly take such a crucial and perfectly positioned free kick?

Just then, a new message pops up before Rohan.

[Mission: Score a free kick for Real Madrid]

What?

Rohan is momentarily stunned, then feels bitter, thinking the system is deliberately making things tough for him.

Not only did it mess up his skills, but now it's asking him to score a free kick for Real Madrid?

This is practically forcing him to take the free kick!!!

Screw it, let's do this.

Rohan, with a determined look, walks up to Ronaldo and whispers, "Hey, Ronaldo, let's play a tactic. I'll pretend to take the free kick, you take the shot after we fool them, okay?"

Ronaldo looks at Rohan warily at first, but seeing his earnest face, he nods in agreement.

There was a game before where James said something similar, and...

This time it should be different.

Back in Shaiju's live stream room.

As Rohan runs towards the ball, Shaiju laughs and says, "Looks like they're setting up for a tactical free kick, but this tactic is pretty weak, not very deceptive."

Bineesh laughs along, "If it were James, who's equally good at free kicks, maybe, but Rohan's just not there yet."

A viewer comments sarcastically in the chat, "Hey, what if Rohan actually takes the free kick? Wouldn't everyone be fooled then?"

"Ha, letting him take it would be like letting my grandma play, such a naive tactic, only Ronaldo would agree to play along with him."

"Beep!!!"

As the referee blows the whistle, Rohan dashes to the ball and, with everyone's eyes wide open, kicks it with all his might.

Sorry, Ronaldo.

If I don't do something, I probably won't have a chance to stay at Real Madrid. This is my only shot.

On the field, as the ball soared through the air, Ronaldo couldn't help but curse inwardly.

"Damn, they're all tricksters, James was one, and this seemingly honest Indian guy too."

But the situation didn't allow him much time to dwell on it,getting into position for a second chance in the box was crucial.

However, sometimes things take an unexpected turn.

Just as Ronaldo reached the edge of the box, he saw the ball curve over Pique's head and suddenly drop, heading straight for the Barcelona goal.

Even Ter Stegen, one of the world's top goalkeepers, couldn't react in time.

All he could do was watch helplessly as the ball hit the back of the net.

Was that a knuckleball???

Fast, with a wicked curve.

That was everyone's thought, and for a moment, they even thought Ronaldo had taken the shot.

The stadium fell silent for a split second, then erupted into a tsunami of cheers from the Real Madrid fans.

"Whistle!!!"

The referee blew his whistle, pointing to the center circle.

The goal stood.

The Real Madrid players immediately burst into cheers, swallowing any curses they had at the tip of their tongues.

Ronaldo was the first to rush towards Rohan, giving him a massive bear hug.

Soon, Kroos, Casemiro, and others joined in.

They surrounded him in the center, some patting his head, others hugging him, all congratulating him.

"Didn't expect that footwork from you, the coach should've played you sooner."

"By the way, what's your name?"

Until now, they had never paid much attention to this frequent substitute, and since he hadn't been at Real Madrid for long, they hardly remembered or even knew his name.

Rohan smiled shyly, "I'm Rohan Singh."

"Rohan Singh, got it."

"Keep it up, Rohan, let those Barca kids see what Real Madrid's really made of."

...

Back in Shaiju's live stream room.

"Did Rohan really score?" Shaiju said in disbelief.

"The referee pointed to the center circle, it's definitely a goal."

Bineesh nodded, adding, "That was a beautiful shot, though probably a fluke. Rohan wasn't known for his free kicks back in India."

Immediately, someone in the chat said, "Definitely a fluke, that curve, even Ronaldo himself couldn't do better. With Rohan's usual skills, there's no way he could pull that off normally."

"Fluke or not, he scored, and he made history—the first Indian player to score against Barcelona. How about that?"

"Whatever, just lucky to fluke one in. If he scores another, I'll eat my shoe live on stream."

"Agreed, I'll eat my sock live."

...

On the sidelines, Zidane rubbed his bald head, his face a picture of disbelief.

He had put Rohan on the field because they were too far behind, with no chance of a comeback, so he might as well let the players rest and do a good turn by letting this hardworking Indian player live his dream.

Given Real Madrid's current lineup, it was hard for Rohan to get a chance to play. The president had signed him mainly for the vast Indian market behind him.

But it seemed the effect wasn't as expected, so before the game, Pérez had informed him that they would terminate Rohan's contract after the match.

What no one expected was for Rohan to score.

But just that wasn't enough to impress the Real Madrid higher-ups.

After all, the test reports were clear.

As for that spectacular free kick, the higher-ups, including him, would rather chalk it up to luck.