That Afternoon in Manchester II
The players trudged onto the pitch for the start of the second half, each taking their positions. Marcus remembered Coach Anderson's words during the halftime team talk, determined to make an impact this half. He couldn't allow Alex Williams to hog the spotlight—not this time.
The referee blew his whistle, and the second half was underway. {"And we are back after the break. Fulham are down two-nil here, and United are cruising."} {"Will there be any drama in this second half? Stay tuned to find out!"}
Alex passed the ball from the center line to begin the second half, and United attacked with more intensity than they had in the first half, while Fulham defended passively. The match dragged on this way until the 59th minute when Fulham initiated an attack from their half.
Rob Atkinson had dispossessed Alex and pressed forward into the midfield, trying to redeem himself for the error that had caused his team to go behind in the first half. He passed the ball to Fabio Carvalho, who was playing down the right wing. Fabio dribbled forward toward the right corner flag, trying to get a cross in, but Diogo Dalot wasn't having it.
After trying a few stepovers to get past Dalot, but seeing no success, he passed the ball to Marcus, who had moved over to support him on the right. Marcus received the pass and pressed toward the penalty box, trying to find a pass to one of his teammates, but the United defense stood tall, not allowing any space for the Fulham attackers to run into. The defenders were quick to close him down, but Marcus kept his composure.
'Fuck it!' Marcus thought, seeing that none of his teammates were available for the pass. He faked a shot from the right edge of the penalty box to give himself some space, sending one of the defenders lunging in the wrong direction. Then, he pulled the trigger from 20 yards out. The ball curled toward the top left corner of the net; the United goalkeeper dived for the ball, but his fingers could only graze it, not changing its direction as it settled into the net.
{"Goal Fulham!"}
{"Another moment of magic from the young Marcus Pearson!"}
{"Fulham are back in the game now!"} shouted the commentator, as the east side of the stadium, where the traveling Fulham fans were seated, erupted in cheers.
Marcus raced toward the net, picking up the ball that had just rolled out, and sprinted toward the center line, trying not to waste any time on celebrations so they could restart the match as soon as possible.
"Nice, Marcus!" shouted Coach Anderson from the touchline, giving his players some motivation. True to form, Manchester United responded almost immediately, with their players coming forward in waves, trying to increase their advantage. Their midfielders and forwards combined with quick passes, attempting to break through Fulham's defense.
Marcus dropped deeper into his own half, almost into a defensive midfield role, as he helped his team hold their shape. Soon enough, Manchester United's relentless approach paid off with an opportunity in the 82nd minute. Tahith Chong, United's right-winger, got past Tayo Edun, Fulham's left back, with some quick body feints and delivered a dangerous low cross into the box, aiming to find a teammate in red.
The ball slipped past Rob Atkinson's outstretched foot and landed perfectly for Alex, who had escaped his marker and met the ball with a powerful shot. The ball seemed destined for the bottom corner, but the Fulham goalkeeper wasn't having it, pulling off a miraculous save and getting the ball out for a corner kick.
Marcus made his way to the edge of the box, hoping the ball would be cleared so that he could initiate a counterattack. Angel Gomes, United's attacking midfielder, took the corner, the ball swirling toward the box as players jostled to get their heads to it. But it was Alfie Mawson who got the last laugh, heading the ball out of the box.
Marcus watched tensely as the ball came toward him. He trapped it beautifully with one touch, swirled around, and sprinted toward United's half. The counterattack was on.