Stunning Freekick

Team A huddled around Coach Jansen, listening intently as he commended their performance.

On the opposite side, Team D's bench was a different scene. The tension among the players was palpable as they gathered around their coach.

Tempers flared, with accusations flying between the defenders.

"You're not tracking back fast enough!" one of the center-backs shouted at the left fullback.

"That's rich, coming from the one who miss-timed two headers!" the left fullback shot back.

Lars stood at the center of the argument, silently fuming.

His teammates were throwing blame at each other, but deep down, he knew they were all frustrated with him for failing to contain Benjamin.

He clenched his fists, his jaw tight with anger. 'It's not all on me,' he thought furiously. 'They let him through too.'

Their assigned coach, noticing the rising tension, quickly stepped in. "Enough!" he barked, his voice cutting through the bickering.

The players fell silent, their heads turning towards him. "I know you're frustrated, but scouts are watching this match. You want to make a statement? You do it out there, on the pitch. Show them you can fight back. Now calm down, focus, and give it everything you've got in the second half."

Lars gritted his teeth but the coach was right. He nodded. He had to prove himself. 'If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting,' he thought.

The second half kicked off with a noticeable shift in intensity. Team D came out with renewed aggression, and within the first few minutes, the tone of the match had changed.

Tackles were flying in harder, and fouls were becoming more frequent.

Benjamin felt the heat of the game immediately. Lars, who had been relatively cautious in the first half, was now marking him much more physically.

Every time Benjamin received the ball, Lars was there, sticking a leg in, nudging him off balance, and making it difficult to play his usual fluid game.

In the 32nd minute, Lars went in hard on Benjamin, knocking him off his feet just as he was about to make a pass. The referee blew his whistle and reached for his pocket, brandishing a yellow card for the foul.

Coach Jansen at the sidelines furrowed his brows, concerned about the foul on Benjamin. He still remembered what the doctor had told him concerning the chance of Benjamin's injury reoccurring.

He thought about substituting Benjamin but decided to wait for a bit.

'It was still early in the second half and that defender had received a yellow card. He should be cautious with his fouls.' he thought to himself.

Benjamin winced as he got to his feet, brushing dirt from his knees. He felt only a mild throb in his leg and nothing more. But nonetheless, shot a warning glare at Lars, who gave him a dismissive shrug.

'He's getting desperate,' Benjamin thought, rubbing his shin where the studs had connected.

The game continued and Team D wasn't just aggressive with their tackles. They started launching long balls forward, hoping to catch Team A's defense off guard.

In the 35th minute, one of those hopeful passes paid off when a miscommunication between Daarn and Johan allowed Team D's forward to slip through on goal.

Benjamin's heart leaped into his throat as he watched the striker sprint towards the box, but Team A's goalkeeper was alert and quick, he rushed off his line and smothered the shot before it could become dangerous.

It was a close call, and Benjamin could sense that his teammates were feeling the pressure.

On the other side, Team A continued to press. They had three solid chances to put the game out of reach, but poor finishing and the stubborn resistance of Team D's goalkeeper kept the scoreline at 2-0.

The first missed opportunity came when Pieters was played in by Luka, but his shot flew inches wide of the post. Benjamin groaned as the ball sailed past, hands on his head.

"We need that third goal," he muttered under his breath.

The second chance came just minutes later. This time, Benjamin found himself in the box, a cross from Elias finding him unmarked.

He rose for the header, but mistimed it, and the ball skimmed off his forehead, bouncing harmlessly wide.

Frustration began to creep in. 'F*ck! I should've buried that,' Benjamin thought, shaking his head as he jogged back into position.

The third miss was even more agonizing. Luka dribbled past two defenders and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

It beat the goalkeeper but slammed off the crossbar, ricocheting back into play before being cleared by Team D's scrambling defense.

With every missed opportunity, the tension on the field grew.

By the 40th minute, the game was heating up. Team A earned a free kick on the left wing, about 25 yards from goal after another rough challenge from Team D's defense.

Benjamin and Luka stood over the ball, deliberating who would take it.

"You've got a good angle here," Luka said, glancing at the wall of players. "But if you're not feeling it, I can whip it in."

Benjamin took a deep breath, looking at the setup. 'I've been practicing my shooting techniques,' he thought, remembering the hours spent during his recovery, firing free kicks at an empty net.

But still, nerves tingled at the edges of his mind. It was an important moment, and he knew all eyes were on him.

"I've got this," Benjamin said after a moment of silence. Luka nodded, stepping aside.

Benjamin stepped back, measuring the distance in his head. Three paces back from the ball, just as he'd done countless times in training. He stole a quick glance at the goal, studying the wall and the goalkeeper's positioning.

The referee's whistle pierced the air, signaling it was time.

Benjamin exhaled sharply, focusing solely on the ball. He sprinted towards it, planting his non-kicking foot firmly beside it. His right foot made perfect contact, striking the ball with power while adding a slight curl.

The ball soared into the air, arching over the wall of defenders. For a brief second, it seemed like it might rise too high, sailing over the bar. The goalkeeper hesitated, unsure whether to commit or stay back.

That hesitation proved costly.

The ball curled sharply, dipping at the last moment. It clipped the top left corner of the goalpost with a resounding thud and ricocheted into the back of the net.

For a heartbeat, there was silence, followed by an eruption of cheers from the stands.

Benjamin stood still, frozen in the moment, watching as his teammates rushed toward him. A grin spread across his face as Luka wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Told you you had it," Luka laughed.

Benjamin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Yeah," he replied, still in disbelief at how cleanly the ball had struck the post and gone in. It felt... natural.

The scoreline now read 3-0, and Team A looked well on their way to securing the win.