22 For My New Home
The Sheffield Sunday Academy Arena was not even half full, with barely a thousand people in attendance. Though, relative to the usual under 18 league games, the turnout was ridiculously high.
Such was the power of a rivalry match.
Meanwhile, the intensity on the pitch matched the rivalry all too well.
It's now fifteen minutes into the match, and the referee had already stopped play on at least ten different occasions. He also had given out two yellow cards in the process.
Tempers are already flaring, and the players are letting go of caution pretty early on the match.
Blaise came deep to get the ball from his own keeper. He slowly moved up the pitch while giving out passes to his back line and getting it back again. After receiving the ball from his left back, he held onto the ball with his back against Sheffield Sunday's captain James Ritchie.
Cameron reminded him that the captain of his former team had consistently attracted the attention of several Premier League sides throughout the years he's playing there. That tidbit made Blaise wary of this man— whose lanky frame, massive shoulders, and ridiculous lower body strength stood out.
If Sunday has a talent like him that scouts would surely watch like vultures, I have to steal his show!
Blaise's mind churned, thinking what would be the easiest yet flashiest move he can muster in a split second.
His arms tried to ward off Ritchie's smothering arm, as his left pivot planted itself firmly onto the grass. His right heel executed a backheel in between Ritchie's wide legs with deft footwork.
Next was the hard part for Blaise. Ritchie turned, realizing he'd been nutmegged, but Blaise was a second faster. The moment the back of his heel sent the ball on its merry way, he had already disengaged from Ritchie, and chased quicker.
Ritchie might be physically faster, but the extra moment Blaise had was more than enough.
He got the ball and ran straight to the wide green grass in front of him looking for options up ahead. On the left was Cameron, and on the right was Terry. Of course, in the middle was their striker. Blaise had an array of options, but not enough time to dwell on the ball. All the separation he got from James Ritchie was only a few yards so he had to act now.
Blaise floated a diagonal through ball to his right, barely in time to avoid the sliding tackle of the caught up Ritchie.
The beautiful ball split the defense, with the Sunday left back failing to backtrack in time and was left by Terry in no man's land. He latched on to it and drove it all the way to the right side of the box with the chasing pack closing in.
With options in the middle, Terry cut the ball back into the dangerous area.
Their lone forward allowed the ball to pass through his feet in a decoy and into the path of Sunday graduate Cameron.
He then struck it the first time on the volley… but it got saved by the keeper into the crossbar, sending the ball bouncing back out into the middle of the penalty area.
The ball bounced twice, with Ritchie lurking for the loose ball right outside the penalty area. He was about to put his foot into the path of the bouncing ball to clear it, when another person beat him to the punch.
Blaise Atkinson!
Actually, after passing the ball through to his right, Blaise moved slower so that his frontmen could finish the job. He only went for it because he saw Ritchie dart past him to spoil their first goal.
And he's happy he did go for it.
The ball was struck square on the half volley by Blaise, sending it hurtling into the top left corner of the goal.
Goal!
James Ritchie was stunned at the right footed finish that was literally a few inches from his own foot. He looked behind him and into the grass in front of the away supporters, and smiled.
It seems like the coach telling us to be wary about the former Manchester guy is reasonable.
Blaise gave a salute to his beloved old man who's already jumping without a care in the world at the stands.
"Woah, you bastard! What a strike!" Terry jumped on Blaise's back.
"I shouldn't have missed the first attempt…" Cameron said that and yet he hugged his friend.
"Hey, we thought you're a free kick one trick!"
"Damn man, that's a frickin' laser!"
The sound of booing and whistling echoed through the half-filled arena. Of course this is the derby, and this is Sunday's turf… so Blades scoring a goal here stirred up unpleasant emotions in the hearts and minds of the fans.
The match went on with the away side slowly taking control of the tempo of the game. Blaise Atkinson was always in the thick of it, even with the constant hounding of Ritchie. His control of the midfield continued frustrating Sunday's captain after the restart.
It was now only a few minutes before the half time whistle when things once again came to a head. A tame shot that was saved by the Blades keeper was quickly sent to the waiting Atkinson in the midfield circle, whose chest control was impeccable enough to send the ball under his control.
Sunday captain Ritchie didn't miss a beat, as he's already stuck with Atkinson the moment the ball dropped, wanting to dispossess him and snuff the attack out right then and there.
With the opponent stuck to him like glue once again, he played the ball back to his defense. He then burst forward, catching Ritchie— who went straight to the receiver of the ball instead— off guard.
It was too late for Ritchie when the Blades defender dinked the ball over to Atkinson's path.
Blaise couldn't help but inwardly rejoice, as he didn't expect his teammate to catch his drift.
He made quick work of the nearest defender by fooling him with the simple yet highly effective drag back move. This allowed him to feed the ball to Cameron, who's already cutting inside from the left wing.
He passed it back to their midfielder behind him, who switched it right back to attacking midfielder Blaise on the volley.
The center of Sunday's defense knew he can shoot and score from just about anywhere, so they blocked off his angles without realizing that they were leaving people unmarked…
Blaise for the second time today sliced the defense apart with a through ball that unlocked the speeding Cameron…
His first touch was dismal though, leaving the ball near enough for the keeper to grab.
That was when the goalkeeper remembered who it was he's up against— his former teammate Cameron Okojo.
He was almost a blur when he slid to reach the ball, and miraculously got to the end of it.
The keeper saw the ball moving underneath his spread legs and into the goal… while him and Cameron barely managed to stop themselves from colliding.
2-0!
Cameron stood up like nothing happened and ran straight into the front of the away support, kissing his new club's crest on his jersey in a show of determination for his newfound home.
